Italy’s Blue Economy continues to outperform the wider economy, generating €78.9 billion in direct value added and supporting more than 1.1 million jobs. The latest Report on the Maritime Economy explores the sector’s growing economic impact, its powerful multiplier effect and the leading role played by Southern Italy.
The 14th Report on the Maritime Economy, prepared by OsserMare, the Tagliacarne Study Centre - Unioncamere, Informare, the Frosinone Latina Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Forum Italia Network, highlights annual growth in the sector outpacing that of the economy as a whole: +3.8% in value added and +4.2% in employment. Driven particularly by Southern Italy, the Blue Economy directly generates €79 billion, rising to €225 billion, equivalent to 11.4% of Italy’s total value added, when indirect and induced effects are also taken into account.
The Blue Economy is a leading sector of the Italian economy, generating value added and employment at rates exceeding those of the broader economic system. Moreover, it has become a genuine lever of national industrial policy, playing a decisive role across multiple areas, from national security and environmental sustainability to technological development and societal well-being, as well as businesses’ competitiveness and their capacity for systemic coordination.
These findings emerge from the 14th National Report on the Maritime Economy: The National and Territorial Dimension of Development, compiled by OsserMare, the Tagliacarne Study Centre - Unioncamere, Informare, the Frosinone Latina Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Forum Italia Network. Published for over 15 years, the report has become the primary analytical tool for assessing Italy’s Maritime Economy.
The analyses presented in the report clearly underscore the central role of the sector, which continues to act as a driving force compared with the rest of the economy. By the end of 2025, the sector comprised 253,599 enterprises, accounting for 4.3% of Italy’s total business system.
According to the latest available data, referring to 2024, the Blue Economy continues to generate employment, involving more than 1.1 million workers, equivalent to 4.3% of total national employment. This represents an increase of 4.2% compared with the previous year, more than double the 1.5% growth recorded by the economy as a whole.
Furthermore, over the past year, the Blue Economy recorded its highest value added since data collection began, amounting to €78.9 billion, or 4% of total economic value added. This represents an increase of 3.8% compared with the previous year, against 2.1% for the economy as a whole. Growth was driven in particular by double-digit increases in marine extraction industries, up 21.3%, and sports and recreational activities, up 10.1%.
This is complemented by the multiplier effect of the maritime system. For every euro generated directly by blue sectors, an additional €1.8 is generated across the rest of the economy. This brings the total value added attributable to the maritime value chain to €224.9 billion, equivalent to 11.4% of national value added, of which approximately €146 billion derives from indirect and induced effects.
In this respect, maritime freight and passenger transport has the strongest multiplier effect, with a coefficient of 2.7. In addition to €18.2 billion in direct value added, the sector generates a further €49.7 billion across the wider economy.
In absolute terms, however, coastal accommodation and food services account for the largest share of wealth creation, representing 31.3% of the national Blue Economy’s value added, equivalent to €24.7 billion.
From a geographical perspective, the central role of Central and Southern Italy emerges clearly. In particular, the Mezzogiorno confirms its position as the area in which the maritime economy carries the greatest weight, accounting for 34.2% of the sector’s total value added.