On March 12, 2026, the Hellenic Statistical Authority released the findings from a ship and crew census conducted on September 20, 2024. The census revealed that out of 1,713 ships of 100 gross tonnage (GT) and above registered with the Hellenic Seamen’s Pension Fund (NAT), 1,107 ships were actively recorded. Notably, 91.2% of these vessels were Greek-owned, with 1,010 ships in service and 97 under foreign flags. Among the Greek-owned ships, 90.2% were operational, while the remainder were idle.
The census also highlighted crew employment, showing that the 1,107 ships employed a total of 18,822 seafarers, comprising both Greek and foreign nationals. Specifically, Greek ships employed 17,580 seafarers, with 63.5% being Greek. In contrast, Greek-owned vessels under foreign flags employed 1,242 seafarers, predominantly Greek at 89%. Compared to the previous census in 2022, there was a 1.9% increase in the number of seafarers on Greek ships and an 11.2% rise on Greek-owned ships under foreign flags.
The distribution of the workforce varied by ship type, with 15.9% of seafarers working on cargo ships, 41.9% on tankers, and 37.5% on passenger and tourist vessels. The crew composition revealed that 32.5% of seafarers on Greek ships were senior staff, while junior staff accounted for 59.3%. Moreover, a significant increase in female maritime employment was noted, with the number of registered female seafarers rising from 1,237 in 2020 to 2,048 in 2024, marking a 65.6% increase over five years.
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