The maritime economy continues to deliver record figures. The 13th National Report on the Sea Economy, presented by the Ministry of Economic Development – Territorial Inspection at the opening of the Blue Forum 2025, confirms both growth and a paradigm shift accompanying the development of the Mezzogiorno (Southern Italy).
The report, prepared by the National Observatory on the Sea Economy (OsserMare), the Tagliacarne Research Center, and Unioncamere, highlights the decisive contribution of the blue economy to the national GDP. Let’s take a look at some striking numbers.
Today in Italy, 232,841 businesses operate on and for the sea, employing a total of 1,089,710 people. This sector generates a direct added value of €76.6 billion, which rises to €216.7 billion when considering the broader economic impact—equivalent to 11.3% of Italy’s GDP. Remarkably, one-third of this value comes from the South.
The report emphasizes that all indicators show clear growth across the board. But perhaps the most telling figure is that direct added value grew by +15.9%, more than twice the national average of 6.6%. Compared to 2024, the weight of the maritime economy in total added value has risen by over one percentage point, according to the previous year’s 12th report.
The economic multiplier remains stable at 1.8: for every €1 spent in sectors directly linked to the maritime economy, another €1.80 is generated in the wider economy.
Employment in the sector is also rising sharply: +7.7% job growth, more than four times the national average of +1.9%. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of companies in the sector increased by 2%, bucking the national trend of -2.4%.
The South leads in terms of added value, employment, and number of companies. According to the report, the Mezzogiorno now contributes 32.5% of the total added value, 37.7% of the jobs, and 49.2% of all businesses in the sector (as of 2024).
“The blue economy,” said Andrea Prete, President of Unioncamere, “is not only making a growing contribution to national economic development, but it also shows strong entrepreneurial vitality. While the number of businesses nationwide declined by 2.4%, those in the blue economy rose by 2%. It is also more territorially inclusive: in the Mezzogiorno, the blue economy accounts for 15.5% of total value added, compared to a national average of 11.3%, even if the South has a slightly lower capacity to stimulate other sectors of the value chain.”
Despite these successes, workforce recruitment remains a challenge—particularly for technical and cross-disciplinary skills. Hence, the continued commitment of chambers of commerce to strengthening the sector and developing human capital.
The growth isn’t new—but maintaining it requires reduced international uncertainty.
“We are witnessing the highest peak of the maritime economy since 2019,” noted Gaetano Fausto Esposito, Director General of the Tagliacarne Center. “The contribution of the blue economy to Italy’s total production of goods and services has increased from 5.8% in 2021 to 9.5% today. However, further uncertainty—an increase of 30% over current levels—could result in a loss of €1.2 billion, mostly affecting tourism and logistics.”
Antonello Testa, Coordinator of OsserMare, concluded:
“Italy’s maritime economy confirms its strong growth trend, surpassing €216 billion in added value, or 11.3% of GDP. These data affirm Italy’s leadership in Europe, even though the EU Blue Economy Report 2025 ranks us fourth in added value—after Germany, Spain, and France—based on different parameters. Italy can only win this challenge by fully understanding the maritime landscape and its rapid evolution, which we have been doing institutionally for over 13 years with the Tagliacarne Chamber of Commerce Research Center and Unioncamere.”
Source: ilmattino
