Between 1995 and 2020, the ocean economy grew 2.5 times, outpacing the 1.9-fold growth of the global economy. Developing countries drove much of this expansion.
About 600 million people rely on the ocean economy. It supports 100 million jobs, mainly in fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.
The sector offers a path to greater food security, value addition and economic diversification. But climate shocks, rising seas, pollution and biodiversity loss threaten its future.
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) calls for stronger ocean economic governance and better data collection. It also urges investment in climate-adaptive and resilient marine infrastructure, more South-South trade, and scaled-up blue finance and sustainable marine-based innovations.
Ocean trade tops $2.2 trillion, led by services
In 2023, global ocean trade reached $2.2 trillion – $1.3 trillion in services and $900 billion in goods. It made up about 7% of world trade…