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Energy, Climate change, Environment
EU Blue Economy Observatory

Maritime transport

[Cargo with lighthouse at sunset]

The European Union is the world’s biggest trading block. Although it contains just 5% of the world’s population, it contributes 14.9% of global GDP (2020). In 2021, about 1.6 billion metric tonnes of goods were loaded in Europe, and about 1.7 billion were discharged. These account for roughly 14% and 16% of the world’s seaborne trad. On a year-to-year basis, the European trade increased the loaded cargo by 2% and the discharged cargo by 5%, recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the volumes are still 2% and 12% lower than in 2019. The top-three EU partner countries are Russia, USA and China.

The EU fleet is large and quite heterogeneous. The ships registered under the flag of an EU Member State represented 16.2% of the total world fleet measured in dead weight tonnage (DWT). In terms of absolute numbers, the EU Member State-flagged fleet contains nearly 40% of the world’s RoPax fleet (vessels that can carry cars and passengers), 33% of all cruise vessels, 29% of passenger ships and 20% of container ships.

 

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Maritime transport includes:

  • passenger transport: sea, coastal and inland passenger water transport;
  • freight transport: sea, coastal freight and inland freight water transport;
  • services for transport: renting and leasing water transport equipment.

Inland transport is considered part of the Blue Economy because it includes the transportation of  passengers and freight via rivers, canals, lakes and other inland waterways, including within harbours and ports.

Overall, maritime transport accounted for 22.9% of the jobs, 31% of the GVA and 37% of the profits in the EU Blue Economy in 2020. Freight transport accounted for 54% of value added across the Member States, service for transport for 37%,and passenger transport for the remaining 9%.

EU Blue Economy Report 2023
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The maritime transport sector generated a GVA of EUR 29.5 billion in 2020, a decline of 14% compared to the 2019 peak. Gross profit, at EUR 14.7 billion, decreased by 15% on a year-to-year basis. The profit margin was estimated at 10%, slightly below the 11% recorded in 2019. The investment ratio (gross investment in tangible goods / GVA) was estimated at 41%, recording a sharp increase in 2019. The turnover reported was EUR 147.4 billion, a 9% decrease from 2019.

In 2020, about 371 600 people were employed in the sector, half of which within services for transport, a quarter within passenger transport, and the remaining quarter within freight transport. The total salaries amounted to EUR 14.9 billion, and the annual average wage was estimated at EUR  40 000, up 2% compared to 2019.

The Member State that contributed the most to the EU GVA within the sector is Germany (34%), followed by Denmark (26%) and Italy (9%). Most of the workforce (about 125 000, equivalent to about 34%) was employed in Germany, followed by Italy (62 000, equivalent to 17%) and France (38 000, equivalent to 10%).

EU Blue Economy Report 2023