The Portuguese established Blue Economy sectors directly employ approximately 295 600 people and generate €7.8 billion in GVA (2022). The Blue Economy in Portugal contributes by approx—3.7% to the national GVA and 6% to national employment.
The relative share of the Blue Economy in Portugal has been gradually increasing since 2011, until it was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In absolute terms, employment in the established Blue Economy sectors increased by nearly 132 800 people between 2011 and 2022 (+81.5%) to reach its highest value on our records since 2009. Approximately 93 000 jobs were lost between 2019 and 2020 as a consequence of the health crisis (-41%). However, Blue Economy employment has fully recovered since then.
In terms of GVA, the Portuguese Blue Economy reached €6.5 billion in 2018, representing 3.7% of the national GVA. Then, it dropped to €3 billion in 2020, mainly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the national Blue Economy has fully recovered, reaching €7.8 billion in 2022, its highest GVA on our records since 2009.
Portugal has the third largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the EU after France (1st in the world) and Denmark (15th) and became the first EU Member State to prepare a Satellite Account for the Sea.
The Portuguese Blue Economy is dominated by Coastal tourism, which contributed to the Portuguese Blue Economy by nearly 73% in terms of employment and 70% in terms of GVA. The second largest Blue Economy sector in Portugal is Marine living resources, contributing 23% and 21% to employment and GVA, respectively. This is followed by Port activities, contributing 4% to the Portuguese Blue Economy GVA and 2% to its employment.
In the EU, Portugal’s Blue Economy ranks 6th in employment and 9th in GVA and 6th in employment. The country’s Coastal tourism sector ranks 4th in the EU in terms of GVA and 5th in terms of employment.
The largest container port in Portugal is the Port of Sines, which is also the 15th-largest cargo port in the EU, handling almost 40 million tonnes in 2023. Other important seaports include the ports of Leixões (13 million tonnes), Lisbon (nearly 11 million tonnes), Setúbal (nearly 6 million tonnes) and Aveiro (5.8 million tonnes).
The largest passenger ports in Portugal are primarily located in major coastal cities and serve as key hubs for domestic and international maritime travel. The port of Horta in the Azores is the largest port with 485 000 passengers per year (2023), followed by the ports of Madalena in the Azores (447 000 passengers), Funchal and Porto Santo in Madeira (855 000 passengers in total).
Several organisations are monitoring the Portuguese Blue Economy at the national level, as illustrated below:
The Directorate-General for Maritime Policy (DGPM) is the central body coordinating maritime policy in Portugal. In addition to overseeing the National Ocean Strategy 2021–2030, DGPM supports initiatives such as the Bluetech Accelerator and OceanInvest to drive sustainable innovation and investment. DGPM also hosts the national Blue Economy Observatory, which tracks data on marine-related employment, value added, and economic sectors.
The Oceano Azul Foundation, a Portuguese non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean, publishes a wide range of content related to the Portuguese blue economy. This includes reports, studies, and articles focusing on marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine technology, ocean governance, and maritime tourism. The foundation also shares information on its initiatives, projects, and partnerships aimed at promoting a healthy and thriving blue economy in Portugal.
The Portuguese Institute for the Ocean and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera - IPMA) conducts scientific research and publishes reports, and publications on oceanography, marine ecosystems, maritime resources, and environmental issues impacting the blue economy. The institute also provides data, statistics, and assessments of marine and atmospheric conditions relevant to the sustainable use of marine resources, fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal management.
Other national sources of information on the Portuguese Blue Economy are:
Currently, there are many opportunities to acquire Blue Economy education and skills within the country, such as the Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Marine Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Aquaculture, Fisheries, Marine Biotechnology, or Marine Sciences offered by the Universities of Algarve, Aveiro, Leira, Lisbon, or by the Nautical School Infante D. Henrique (ENIDH) in Paço de Arcos, Oeiras, in the Portuguese district of Lisbon.
This interactive dashboard presents the evolution of the blue economy for Portugal. It is designed to provide insights into key economic indicators over time.
At the top of the dashboard, there is a drop-down menu that allows users to select one of the following data categories:
- Employment: Number of jobs and workforce trends in the blue economy sectors.
- Gross Value Added (GVA): The contribution of the blue economy to the national economy.
- Turnover and Gross Profit: Revenue and profitability metrics of blue economy industries.
- Investment: Capital investment levels in blue economy sectors.
Once a category is selected, the main panel updates to display relevant visualisations, such as line charts or bar graphs, showing trends over time. These visualisations are accompanied by labels, legends, and tooltips to ensure clarity and accessibility.
The dashboard is navigable via keyboard and compatible with screen readers. All interactive elements are clearly labeled, and data visualisations include alternative text descriptions summarising key insights.