The steady increase in the total number of registered Greek seafarers also in 2025, the low average age of the Greek maritime workforce and the spectacular increase in female employment in the sector over the last 6 years, are the main conclusions of the 4th Annual Report of the Naval Pension Fund (NAT) on Maritime Employment, which was presented at a special event at the Eugenides Foundation, in the presence of the political leadership of the Ministries of Labour & Social Security and Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, and representatives of the shipping community.
As the outgoing Governor of NAT, Mrs. Georgia Maniati, said, “the establishment of the NAT Annual Report, since 2023, is part of our Organization’s systematic effort to highlight the strategic role of the human resources of Greek shipping and to contribute with reliable data to the public dialogue on the future of the seafaring profession. We are proud that the initiative of the Annual Reports has now evolved into an institution of reference for the Greek shipping community, offering a stable framework for monitoring the trends, challenges and opportunities that shape maritime employment.”
Welcoming the event, the President of the Eugenides Foundation, Mr. Leonidas Dimitriadis-Eugenidis, congratulated the Management and staff of NAT for the successful establishment of the institution of the Annual Reports on Maritime Employment and particularly emphasized the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders in the sector, in order to substantially strengthen the human resources of Shipping.
In her address, the Minister of Labour & Social Security, Mrs. Niki Kerameos, stressed that “the human resources of Shipping are its asset. And when we talk about Greek Shipping, the dominant maritime power in the world, this asset becomes even more important.” She added that “the establishment of the NAT Annual Reports, since 2023, has succeeded in highlighting the important role of the human resources of Shipping, through the utilization of primary data, contributing valuable elements to the dialogue on strengthening the seafaring profession – a utilization that simultaneously highlights the new era that the oldest insurance organization in Greece has entered.” Mrs. Kerameos personally thanked the outgoing Governor of NAT for her overall, long-standing contribution to the Organization, while welcoming the new Governor, Mr. Ioannis Psachoulas – who was present at the event, shortly before officially assuming his duties – expressing her certainty that he will continue the important work of the Fund.
For her part, the Deputy Minister of Labour & Social Security, Mrs. Anna Efthymiou, stated that “the Naval Pension Fund is a historic institution with a timeless contribution to Greek shipping. Today, through the 4th Annual Report on Maritime Employment, it confirms yet another important role: that of a body of knowledge and documentation, which reliably captures the developments and needs of Greek maritime employment, offering valuable tools for designing effective policies.”
Mrs. Efthymiou concluded: “The data of this year’s report are particularly encouraging also for 2025, as they show that maritime employment is being renewed, attracting young people and steadily strengthening the participation of women.”
This is a development of particular importance, as investment in young people and the broadening of equal opportunities for women provide a comparative advantage to Greek shipping and forge encouraging prospects for a more dynamic, more modern, and more inclusive labor market.
Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, Mr. Stefanos Gkikas, referred to the long-standing cooperation between the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy and the NAT, as well as to the Ministry’s actions to support Greek seafarers. He emphasized that the global power of Greek shipping is also reflected in the numerous Greek vessels currently under construction in the shipyards of China, Korea, and Japan. As he stated, “in the next 2-3 years, these ships will be on the seas of the world, and we must all help so that they are crewed with as many Greek seafarers as possible.”
On the same wavelength, the Director of Maritime Labor, Captain Mr. Antonis Doumanis, specifically referred to the data on female maritime employment, stressing that a special Working Group has been established at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs on the issue of pregnant and mother seafarers, in which NAT also participates, and expressed optimism that in next year’s Annual Report, a new institutional framework could be presented that will strengthen women seafarers. Finally, he noted the balanced distribution of the Greek maritime workforce observed between coastal shipping and cargo shipping.
For his part, the General Secretary of Social Insurance, Mr. Konstantinos Tsagaropoulos, during whose tenure as Governor of NAT in 2023 the institution of the Annual Report on Maritime Employment was established, focused particularly on the effort required for NAT to move from a period of devaluation and operational lag to a phase of modernization, digital transformation, and landmark initiatives for the multifaceted support of Greek seafarers, and praised the role of NAT executives in this effort.
The key data and conclusions of this year’s Report were presented by the Scientific Director of the publication, Dr. Gavriil Amitsis, Professor of Social Security Law and Director of the Research Laboratory of Social Administration in the Department of Business Administration of the University of West Attica.
As he said, “the 4th NAT Report on Maritime Employment presents the profile of the human resources of the Greek shipping industry for 2025, systematizes the recent institutional and operational initiatives of the institutions of the European Union in the field of maritime employment, and highlights the interventions of the International Labour Organization in the field of development and protection of the human resources of the maritime labor market.”
The main findings of the Report regarding the state of registered maritime employment in 2025 and its emerging trends show, among other things, that:
· The upward trend of maritime employment in Greece continues steadily, with the total number of registered seafarers (members of organized crews for whom APDN were submitted within 2025, even for one day of insurance) amounting to 26,902, showing an increase of 2.6% compared to 2024.
· The vast majority (70.4%) of the registered seafaring human resources are aged 18-45, and a significant part (34.7%) are young people aged 18-30.
· The total number of female registered seafarers for 2025 (2,190 individuals) shows an annual increase of 6.9% compared to 2024 (2,048 individuals) and a total increase of 77% within the last six years.
· The percentage of female participation in the Greek seafaring human resources (8.1%) significantly exceeds the international and European average (1.2% for 2021 and 2.4% for 2022 respectively).
· The registered seafaring human resources consist of 47.7% deck officers (12,841 individuals) and 52.3% lower-ranking crew members (14,061 individuals).
· The most numerous manning specializations in 2025 were the specializations of master (2,431 individuals) and chief officer (2,180 individuals) among deck officers, while the specializations of able seaman (4,456 individuals including deck boys and pumpmen) and steward (2,808 individuals) among lower-ranking crews.
The entire 4th NAT Report on Maritime Employment is available at:
4th Maritime Employment Report 2026 – N.A.T. Seamen’s Pension Fund
