The Romanian established Blue Economy sectors directly employ more than 58 000 people and generate approximately €1 billion in GVA (2021). The share of the Blue Economy in Romania’s economy is relatively small, representing 0.7% of national employment and 0.5% of GVA, respectively.
The relative importance of the Blue Economy has been slightly reducing in Romania since 2009. In absolute terms, employment in the established Blue Economy sectors decreased by about 25 000 people between 2009 and 2021 (-30%). The COVID-19 pandemic played a considerable effect, with 12 000 jobs lost between 2019 and 2020. Only about a fourth of them were re-employed in 2021.
On the other hand, since 2013 the Romanian Blue Economy GVA started to increase in nominal terms after having hit its lowest level in 2012 (€742 million). It reached its peak in 2019 at €1.1 billion, before a 16% contraction registered in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. All in all, the share of Blue Economy GVA to the national economy has decreased in nominal terms from 0.8% in 2009 to 0.5% in 2021.
The largest Blue Economy sectors in Romania are Shipbuilding and repair and Coastal tourism, which contributed to Romanian Blue Economy employment by nearly 33% and 30%, respectively, and by 31% and 23% to its GVA, respectively. In terms of GVA, however, Port activities was the second largest Blue Economy sector in Romania, with a contribution of 24% and 19% to country’s Blue Economy employment. The next largest Blue Economy sector is Marine living resources, contributing with 11% to the Romanian Blue Economy employment and 10% of its GVA.
Text description of images at the bottom of the page
In the EU, Romania ranks 3rd in employment and 6th in GVA for Marine non-living resources; 6th in employment and 10th in GVA for Shipbuilding and repair; and 8th in employment for Port activities.
The largest container port in Romania is the port of Constanta, which is the 12th largest in the EU, handling nearly 50 million Tonnes in 2021. Other cargo handling seaports include the ports of Midia and Mangalia.
The port of Costanta is also the largest and most significant port in Romania. It serves mainly as a hub for cruise ships and ferry services.
The National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa" (Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Geologie și Geoecologie Marină "Grigore Antipa" - NIMRD) conducts research and provides information on marine geology, ecology, and environmental issues, offering insights into the scientific aspects of the blue economy.
The National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Agenția Națională pentru Pescuit și Acvacultură - ANPA) is responsible for fisheries and aquaculture management in Romania, providing information on these sectors and their contribution to the blue economy.
Other national sources of information on the Romanian Blue Economy are:
- Romanian Ministry of Waters and Forests.
The Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution.
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.
Figure 1: Romania: Evolution of the Blue Economy Established Sectors (2021)
This figure consists of two pie charts that illustrate key aspects of Romania’s Blue Economy in 2021.
- Left Pie Chart: This chart represents the percentage of employment across various established sectors within the Blue Economy. Each sector is depicted as a segment of the pie, with the size of each segment corresponding to its share of total employment. For example, if the segment for "Coastal Tourism" occupies a larger portion, it indicates a higher percentage of employment in that sector compared to others.
- Right Pie Chart: This chart shows the percentage of Gross Value Added (GVA) for each established sector. Similar to the left chart, each segment reflects the contribution of that sector to the overall GVA of the Blue Economy. A larger segment signifies a greater economic impact from that sector.
Together, these charts provide a visual representation of both employment distribution and economic contribution within Romania’s Blue Economy, highlighting the sectors that play significant roles in both areas.
Figure 2: Romania: Evolution of the Blue Economy established sectors (2009-2021)
This figure consists of two tables that illustrate the evolution of established sectors within the Blue Economy in Romania from 2009 to 2021.
First table:
- Structure: The first table has 11 rows and 14 columns.
- Column Overview:
- First Column: Lists the established sectors of the Blue Economy, from row 2 to row 10.
- Columns 2 to 14: Display the number of persons employed (in thousands) for each year from 2009 to 2021.
- First Row: Contains the headers, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- Last Row: Contains the percentage of national jobs attributed to each sector for each year.
- Structure: The second table mirrors the first, also containing 11 rows and 14 columns.
Second table:
- Column Overview:
- First Column: Again lists the established sectors of the Blue Economy, from row 2 to row 10.
- Columns 2 to 14: Present the Gross Value Added (GVA) for each year (in million euros, M€) from 2009 to 2021.
- First Row: Contains the headers, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- Last Row: Displays the percentage of national GVA for each sector for each year.
Figure 3: Romania: Evolution of the Employment by Blue Economy Activity (2009-2021) - Persons employed
This table provides a comprehensive overview of employment trends in Romania’s Blue Economy from 2009 to 2021. It consists of 44 rows and 16 columns, with the first row serving as the header that outlines the content of each column, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- The first three columns include:
- Blue Economy Sector
- Sub-Sector
- Activity
- The next 13 columns display the number of persons employed in each activity for each year from 2009 to 2021. Each cell in these columns contains numerical data representing the employment figures for that specific activity and year.
- The last row (row 44) the last row of the table summarises the total number of persons employed for each year, providing a clear overview of employment trends across the entire Blue Economy.
Overall, this table encompasses 7 sectors, 13 sub-sectors, and 42 activities, making it a valuable resource for analysing how employment in Blue Economy has evolved over the specified period in the specific country.
Figure 4: Romania: Evolution of the GVA by Blue Economy Activity (2009-2021) - M€"
This figure provides a comprehensive overview of the Gross Value Added (GVA) across various activities within the Blue Economy. It consists of 44 rows and 16 columns with the first row serving as the header that outlines the content of each column, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- The first three columns include:
- Blue Economy Sector
- Sub-Sector
- Activity
- The next 13 columns display the GVA values for each activity from 2009 to 2021.
- The last row (row 44) summarises the totals for each year.
The table encompasses 7 sectors, 13 sub-sectors, and 42 activities, allowing for a detailed analysis of how the GVA has evolved over the specified years. This structured format facilitates comparisons across different sectors and activities, highlighting trends and changes within the Blue Economy in Romania.