With 253.599 businesses and 1.133.949 employees, Italy's maritime economy generates direct added value of 78,9 billion euros, which, when considering the value generated in the rest of the economy, reaches €224,9 billion, equal to 11,4% of the national GDP. This is the finding of the 14th National Report on the Maritime Economy, edited by the National Observatory on the Maritime Economy OsserMare, the Tagliacarne Study Center – Unioncamere, Informare, the Frosinone Latina Chamber of Commerce, and the Blue Forum Italia Network, presented in Rome at the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy as part of Blue Forum 2026.
Added value is growing and the number of employees is increasing three times faster than the economy average.
The analysis shows that the sector, already very large, is constantly expanding. Compared to the last survey conducted, in fact, the overall added value grows by approximately 9,6 billion euros, and direct added value is growing by +3,8%, compared to the +2,1% of the national economy, which in absolute terms is equal to an annual increase of almost 2,9 billion euros. Furthermore, the number of employees is increasing, with an increase in employment of +4,2%, a value almost triple the growth recorded in the Italian economy as a whole. This year's multiplier remains stable at 1,8: that is, for every euro spent in sectors directly related to the marine supply chain, another 1,8 are generated in the rest of the economy.
As it does every year, the fourteenth edition of the Report, a national and European reference point in defining the value of the Italian Blue Economy, has put the various sectors that make up the "blue" productive force under the magnifying glass: the fishing and shipbuilding sectors, accommodation and catering services, sports and recreational activities, the marine extraction industry, the movement of goods and passengers by sea, research, regulation, and environmental protection. New in this edition is an in-depth analysis dedicated to human capital and skills in maritime economy businesses amid the green and digital transition.
Statements by Minister Urso and Unioncamere President Prete
"The Blue Economy is no longer a niche sector but an industrial and employment lever for Italy and Europe. For the government, the sea is a central development resource for the country system, and it is our goal to strengthen leadership in this sector to transform this centrality into growth opportunities for our businesses." Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, during the presentation of the 14th National Report on the Economy of the Sea by the National Observatory on the Economy of the Sea OsserMare, the Tagliacarne Study Center – Unioncamere, Informare, the Frosinone Latina Chamber of Commerce, and the Blue Forum Italia Network, presented in Rome at the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy as part of the Blue Forum 2026. The minister added: "The results of this Report confirm Italy's competitiveness," Minister Urso added, emphasizing that "this growth is the result of a targeted industrial policy strategy. The sea must return to the center of the European agenda because the Mediterranean is a strategic crossroads of trade routes and energy flows at a time when the balance of power is constantly shifting due to conflicts. In this geopolitical context, Italy occupies an important, strategic position for the Mediterranean and for Europe."
"The importance of the maritime economy, even at the European level, in terms of its contribution to growth and employment, highlights how this sector has become a true lever of industrial policy. Because it encompasses all the components of development, in terms of manufacturing, logistics, tourism, and infrastructure. Every euro generated by the Blue Economy generates an additional 1,8 in other sectors," he commented. the president of Unioncamere, Andrew Priest, who added that "in an area that requires skills, innovation, and ever-increasing collaboration between institutions and the business world, the Chamber of Commerce system will continue to do its part by taking on the responsibility of producing knowledge and supporting businesses to foster their investments and competitiveness."
The director general of the Tagliacarne research center: "The dynamism of the sea is linked to the growth of Southern Italy."
“The Italian maritime economy continues to grow, reaching nearly 225 billion euros in added value. With the XIV National Report on the Maritime Economy, we are providing the country with the main tool for understanding and analyzing one of the most strategic sectors for Italy's growth, competitiveness, and sustainable development,” he highlighted. John Acampora, President of Assonautica Italiana, Si.Camera, and the Frosinone-Latina Chamber of Commerce, according to which "for a long time we have had to demonstrate that the Maritime Economy is not simply the sum of supply chains, but an integrated economic system capable of generating value for the entire nation. Today, this awareness is a shared heritage and represents the result of a process to which the Chamber of Commerce system has made a significant contribution."
"In recent years, the maritime economy has changed, both in terms of composition and territorial participation. While in 2014, the movement of goods and passengers and tourism accounted for 45% of the blue added value, today these sectors account for almost 55%." This was emphasized the general director of the Tagliacarne Study Center, Gaetano Fausto Esposito, according to which "the dynamism of the maritime economy is increasingly linked to the growth of Southern Italy: in 2024, the increase in the value added of the supply chain in the South was three times that recorded for the total of goods and services (11,0% versus 3,4%). This is why today, almost a third of the country's Blue Economy is produced in the South, compared to a 22,5% share of the entire economy."
For Antonello Testa, President of Informare and Coordinator of the National Observatory on the Economy of the Sea OsserMare"Today, the real challenge is not just measuring the Maritime Economy, but understanding its changes in a timely manner to transform them into effective policies, investments, and new growth opportunities. This is the primary objective of the 14th Report, which confirms the solidity and competitiveness of our maritime system and offers a broad representation of the Italian Blue Economy, different in scope and methodology from other European observatories."
