Currently on the 85,148 merchant ships of the maritime fleet 2,565,580 seafarers are believed to be serving in the world, made up of 1,048,980 officers and 1,516,600 municipalities that This year it will be characterized by a shortage of 39,100 STCW certified officers and a surplus of 56,890 municipalities. This year, in fact, the demand for STCW-certified seafarers is estimated at 2,547,790 units, of which approximately 1,088,080 and 1,459,710 municipalities. These data are presented in the latest report "Seafarer Workforce Report 2026" published by BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and considered the industry reference for the planning of the on-board staff, which highlights how by 2030 there will be An additional 113,735 officers are needed to manage the fleet world merchant ship. In particular, the relationship, which is updated every five years, it provides that, in order to meet the demand by 2030, expected to be 1,162,716 officers and 1,558,973 municipalities, will have to become part of the workforce annually maritime an additional 22,747 officers and 8,475 municipalities, with increases in annual averages of +2.0% and +0.5% respectively.

Compared to the last report in 2021, the year for which the demand for STCW-certified seafarers was 1,881,320 of which 883,730 are official and 997,540 municipalities, if by 2026 the number of ships in the world fleet grew by +14%, the demand for STCW certified seafarers increased by +35.4%, a significant increase compared to the two previous reports of 2021 and 2015. In particular, by 2026 the demand for officers is increased by +23.1% and that of municipalities by +46.3% compared to the 2021 levels. The "Seafarer Workforce Report 2026" explains that the growth in demand from both municipalities and officials was probably driven by fleet expansion global mercantile market and the recovery following the pandemic of Covid-19.

The report published today by BIMCO and ICS specifies that, on the supply of maritime labour, the geography of the The supply of cabin crew remains concentrated in a few countries, with the Philippines and India being the largest suppliers, of the world fleet an equal number of officers respectively to 203,179 and 140,718 units and a number of municipalities equal to 256,968 and 171,218 units, followed by China, Russian Federation and Indonesia. These five countries represent the 56.25% of the world's entire maritime workforce.

The new report by BIMCO and ICS therefore photographs a merchant fleet booming global but struggling with a shortage of commanders and engineer officers, a trend that worries about its direction. The shortage of officers is not A new phenomenon, but it is regularly exacerbated. In 2015 the deficit was equal to 16,500 officers. In 2021 it had risen to 26,240 and today it exceeds 39,000 units. In ten years, the gap has more than doubled.

The segments that absorb the dimension Greater than the demand for officers are ships for various goods (21.4%), bulk carriers (18.9%) and cruise ships (14%). These last are also those that total the highest demand high number of municipalities, with 22.5% of the total, reflecting the complexity of on-board hospitality services.

The report includes for the second consecutive edition a detailed demographic analysis of the maritime workforce. I data show that the dominant age group among officers of management level is concentrated between 31 and 50 years of age, with the 37.7% in the 31-40 age group and 32.4% in the 41-50 age group. The operational level officers, on the other hand, are predominantly more young people: 43.4% are between 31 and 40 years old and 34.7% are in the 21-30 age group. The average age of senior officers level is also slightly down compared to 2021, a sign of a partial generational change in progress.

On the gender diversity front, the report records progress, albeit partial. The increase in the presence of women is mainly concentrated in the positions of officers, while The share of women among municipalities remains substantially stable. Only a maritime administration reported a decline in the number of seafarers, limited to the category of deck municipalities.

The report closes with two operational indications aimed at industry and governments. First of all, it is considered essential promoting maritime training and careers at sea, including including information on opportunities for transition to roles on the ground, an element that can improve perception overall of the profession and reduce turnover. Second maritime administrations should monitor with regularity the levels of recruitment and retention of the staff, to provide industry and policymakers with a updated picture of the situation.

'The recruitment, training and retention of the maritime workforce - noted David Loosley, Secretary General and CEO of BIMCO, presenting the report - will be crucial to ensure that our industry is prepared for the future. We have a great collective task ahead of us, which consists in work with all stakeholders and countries that are the largest suppliers of seafarers operating on our ships. The report can help ensure that recruitment and employment are future-oriented".

"Seafarers - underlined the Secretary General of the ICS, Thomas A. Kazakos - are the backbone of the trade and this report reaffirms how important they are for the functioning of the world economy, especially in a world that is increasingly more fragmented. As the industry continues to evolve maritime policy, it is crucial to attract more people towards a maritime career. We must continue our relentless efforts to engage young people from an early age and build a strong talent pool for the future. At the same time it is equally important to retain and develop strength existing work. Seafarers play a key role in the transition of the sector towards new fuels and technologies. Ensuring their access to training and skills necessary for this future will be fundamental. Without continuous investments in both recruitment and training, the gap of skilled workers is likely to increase at a time where the sector needs seafarers more than ever qualified".