In 2023, water transport employed 297,000 people across the European Union, representing 0.15% of total employment for individuals aged 15-64.
Greece emerged as the leading country in this sector, with 49,200 people employed in water transport, accounting for 16.6% of the EU's total. This makes Greece the largest employer in the EU for this industry.
Italy followed closely with 41,200 individuals employed, representing 13.9% of the EU's water transport workforce. Combined, Greece and Italy accounted for nearly a third (30.5%) of the total water transport employment in the EU.
The Netherlands and Poland each employed 24,200 people, making up 8.1% each of the EU total. On the other end of the spectrum, Lithuania (2,000; 0.7%), Czechia (2,300; 0.8%), and Estonia (2,900; 1.0%) had the lowest employment figures in the sector.
Notably, the water transport workforce in the EU was predominantly male, with men comprising 79% of the sector compared to 21% women.
Read more: Greek shipping
(Source: Eurostat)
