The Estonian established Blue Economy sectors employ about 21 000 people and generate around €662 million in GVA. Historically, the Blue Economy was an important part of the overall national economy. In 2021, roughly 3.3% of the national workforce was employed in blue activities, in decline from 2020 (3.8%) and from pre-Covid (in 2019, 5.6%). A similar trend is observed in the overall contribution to the GVA: the Blue Economy value added is 2.4% in 2021, lower than the values in 2020 (3.0%) and 2019 (4.2%).
In terms of employment, the Estonian Blue Economy is dominated by Coastal tourism in 2021, with 40% of blue workers employed in this sector. The share has decreased compared to 2020 (48%) and 2019 (66%). The persons employed in the other sectors Shipbuilding and repair, Port activities, Marine living resources and Maritime transport represent between 12% and 17% of the total Blue Economy workforce.
In terms of GVA, Port activities contributes to 34% the Blue Economy GVA, displaying a nominal value smaller than the previous year (€225m vs €240m) but a similar contribution in percentage.
In the EU, Estonia is the 14th-largest contributor in terms of GVA and employment for Maritime transport.
The busiest Estonian container port in terms of the gross weight of goods handled in 2021 is the Port of Tallinn, which ranks 49th in the EU, followed by the Port of Sillamäe (94th).
Regarding passengers embarking and disembarking in ports, the port of Tallinn was the first ranked in Estonia and the 17th busiest in the EU in 2021. Other busy passenger ports are Kuivastu and Virtsu (46th).
Estonia will receive €97 M from the EMFAF to enhance the national Blue Economy. Specifically, the resources will be dedicated to sustainable fisheries and conservation of aquatic biological resources (35%), aquaculture, processing, and marketing (38%), and coastal areas (22%).
Research institutes that deal with blue economy activities and funding opportunities are the TAL Tech and the Estonian Research Council.
For more national level data, please visit the Dashboards section within the EU Blue Economy Observatory, where you can also find information about Educational and Employment opportunities in the Blue Economy sectors.
