The European Commission recently published the 2024 Blue Economy Report, providing a comprehensive analysis of the trends and drivers shaping the sectors reliant on the EU’s coastal and marine resources. This annual report offers valuable insights into the performance of the blue economy, underscoring its significant contribution to employment, economic growth, and sustainability within the EU.

According to the report, the established sectors of the EU blue economy directly employed approximately 3.59 million people in 2021. These sectors, including marine living resources, marine non-living resources, marine renewable energy, port activities, shipbuilding and repair, maritime transport, and coastal tourism, collectively generated around €623.6 billion in turnover and €171.1 billion in gross value added (GVA). Notably, coastal tourism retained the largest share of employment and GVA within the blue economy, contributing 54% and 29%, respectively. Despite still recovering from the 2020 pandemic crisis, coastal tourism remains a cornerstone of the blue economy.

For more detailed insights, you can access the full 2024 Blue Economy Report here.