The established Blue Economy sectors in the Netherlands directly employ more than 141 thousand people and generate approx. €15.4 billion in GVA (2021). While representing a modest contribution to the national economy, the Dutch Blue Economy sectors contributing by approx. 2% to national GVA and 1.5% to national employment.
The size and share of the Blue Economy has remained relatively stable in the Netherlands since 2009. In absolute terms, the number of people employed in the Dutch Blue Economy registered a 32% increase in 2019 from its 2009 level. But it then suffered a 18% decrease in the following year, largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, before partially recovering in 2021.
In terms of GVA, the share of the Dutch Blue Economy to the national economy decreased from 2.4% in 2009 to 1.8% in 2020, prior to rebounding in 2021 once the pandemic crisis was overcome. In nominal terms, GVA reached its highest level in 2021, thanks to a remarkable 22% increase from the previous year.
The largest Blue Economy sector in the Netherlands is Port activities, which contributed to the Dutch Blue Economy by approximately one third in terms of GVA and almost 26% in terms of employment. The second largest Blue Economy sector of the country is Maritime transport, contributing with 28% and 21% to GVA and employment, respectively. The next largest contributor to GVA is the Marine non-living resources sector (11%), followed by Shipbuilding and repair and Marine living resources (approx. 9% each).
However, in terms of employment, the second largest sector is Coastal tourism (24%), which, together with the Marine living resources and Shipbuilding and repair sectors, contribute to nearly half of the country’s Blue Economy workforce.
In the EU, the Netherlands ranks 1st in GVA and 2nd in employment for the Marine non-Living resources sector; 2nd in GVA and 5th in employment for Port activities; 3rd in employment and 4th in GVA for ocean energy; and 3rd in GVA and 5th in employment for Maritime transport.
The Netherlands has amongst the largest container seaports in the EU, serving as major gateways for containerized cargo in Europe. The Port of Rotterdam is by far the largest container port in Europe, handling a significant volume of TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) each hear. In 2020, the port handled approximately 14.8 million TEUs of containerized cargo. It is followed by the Port of Amsterdam (4th largest in the EU), and Zeeland Seaports (20th).
The ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam are also major passenger ports, serving as a hub for ferry services to and from the United Kingdom, and ports of call for cruise ships and other passenger vessels. In total, approx 775 thousand passengers pass through these ports each year (2021 data).
Several organizations are monitoring the Dutch Blue Economy at the national level, as illustrated below:
The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) is the national oceanographic institute and the Netherlands’ centre of expertise for ocean, sea and coast. The overarching research questions at NIOZ are related to understanding how marine systems work, how they are changing due to anthropogenic and natural impacts, and what benefits can be obtained from them in a sustainable manner.
The Wageningen Marine Research Institute offers independent scientific research and advice on more sustainable management, use and protection of marine, coastal and freshwater areas.
Other national sources of information on the Dutch Blue Economy are:
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat).
- Rijkswaterstaat.
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland).
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.
