Data from the Tagliacarne-Unioncamere Study Center show that Italy’s maritime economy includes 232,841 companies and employs over one million people. It generates a direct added value of €76.6 billion, which rises to €216.7 billion when considering the value created throughout the broader economy—representing 11.3% of the national GDP.
These figures come from the 13th National Report on the Sea Economy, published by the National Observatory of the Sea Economy (Ossermare), Tagliacarne-Unioncamere Study Center, Informare, the Chambers of Commerce of Frosinone and Latina, and the Blue Forum Italy Network.
The blue economy is a vast sector covering activities such as fishing, aquaculture, shipbuilding, coastal tourism, port logistics, marine research, ecosystem protection, energy production, and the exploitation of biological and non-biological resources.
“Italy’s maritime economy is undergoing an extraordinary phase of evolution, not only as a synthesis of our Mediterranean identity and vocation but also as a strategic asset for the country’s development,” said Jean Acampora, president of Italian Assonautica.
“2025 will show us a profoundly transformed picture. Italy is not alone: our path fits within the European Blue Agenda, which promotes sustainable, smart, and inclusive growth of maritime sectors, and within a renewed geopolitical focus on the Mediterranean, now a strategic crossroads of economic, environmental, energy, and infrastructural interests.”
The Blue Economy Is More Dynamic Than the Entire Country
The maritime economy has demonstrated remarkable vitality, surpassing national averages. It is characterized not only by its growing contribution to the overall national economic development but also by its entrepreneurial dynamism.
Between 2022 and 2024, the number of companies increased by 2%, while the overall entrepreneurial base contracted by 2.4%, highlighted André Prêtre, president of Unioncamere.
This contrast is even more striking for the period 2019–2022: companies grew by 4.3%, whereas the national entrepreneurial base declined by more than 2%. The number of employees also rose by 7.7%, more than four times the national average (+1.9%).
The multiplier effect remained stable at 1.8, meaning that for every euro spent in sectors directly related to the maritime industry, an additional €1.80 is generated elsewhere in the economy.
According to the report, the direct added value increased by 15.9%, more than twice Italy’s average growth rate of 6.6%.
The regions leading in the impact of the maritime economy’s added value on their total economy are:
- Liguria (13.8%)
- Sardinia (8.8%)
- Friuli Venezia Giulia (8.4%)
- Lazio (6.7%)
- Campania (6.6%)
Source: firstonline
