Key Details
OECD report, The Ocean Economy at a Glance 2026, estimates activity across fishing, maritime industries, offshore resources, coastal tourism, and ocean-related education, research and trade. Its 2025 figures are projections, built from data available through 2024.
Measure | OECD Estimate or Finding |
|---|---|
Global ocean-economy output | US$3.5 trillion in gross value added in 2025, up 132% in real terms since 1995 |
Global employment | 103 million full-time equivalents in 2025, up 33% since 1995 |
India’s employment | 11 million full-time equivalents in 2025, up from 5.4 million in 1995; second only to China |
India’s coastal tourism employment | 6.1 million full-time equivalents in 2025; second globally |
India’s ocean research | Third in ocean-related scientific publications in 2024, up from 12th in 1996 |
Regional shift | Non-OECD Asia’s share of global ocean-economy output rose from 16% to 36%between 1995 and 2025 |
Tourism Now Accounts for More Ocean Jobs Than Fishing
Globally, marine and coastal tourism employed 43.4 million full-time equivalents in 2025, nearly twice its 1995 level. It overtook fishing, aquaculture and processing as the ocean economy’s largest employer in 2005. Employment in those fishing-related activities fell from 31.5 million to 20.5 million over the full period, with most of the decline occurring in Chinese capture fisheries.
India reflects the importance of tourism to ocean livelihoods: its 6.1 million coastal-tourism full-time equivalentsaccount for more than half its estimated ocean-economy employment. Maritime industries provide another substantial source of work; India rose from sixth to second place globally in employment in that component.
Ocean Growth Has Shifted Towards Asia
The ocean economy grew slightly faster than the overall world economy over 1995–2025. Within it, maritime industries — including shipping, ports and shipbuilding — grew fastest, at 4.2% a year in real terms. Non-OECD Asia became the largest regional contributor to ocean-economy output in 2010 and accounted for 36% by 2025.
These global and regional trends provide context for India’s employment position.
India’s Research Position Has Risen Sharply
India moved from 12th to third in ocean-related scientific publications between 1996 and 2024. Worldwide, ocean research has shifted increasingly towards engineering and technology, with fast growth in work on offshore renewables and desalination. The report establishes India’s rise in publication volume, but does not show that this research has already translated into commercial technologies or improved marine conditions.
Policy Relevance
The employment figures make coastal tourism, ports and other maritime activities central to India’s ocean-economy planning — not secondary to fisheries. They also raise distinct questions about job quality, skills and productivity across activities that employ very different kinds of workers.
The OECD calls its economic estimates experimental. Its current measures do not yet provide internationally comparable accounts of marine ecosystem assets and services. For India, stronger links between economic and environmental data would help assess whether expanding coastal activity is compatible with the health of the ecosystems on which it depends.
Follow the Full Report Here: The Ocean Economy at a Glance 2026