ABSTRACT: About 90% of world trade is carried by ships and this trade would not be possible without well-trained and experienced seafarers. There are currently over 100,000 merchant ships manned by almost 2 million seafarers. The seafarers market has been characterized by a constant shortage of seafarers for years and as maritime transport continues to grow, a further shortage, especially of officers, is expected in the coming years. This paper provides an overview of the global seafarers market, the analyses of the number of seafarers, officers and ratings, the most represented nationalities, trends and changes compared to previous analyses. Particular attention is paid to the nations that dominate in terms of the number or proportion of the total population of seafarers and why the seafaring profession is more attractive in some countries and less attractive in others. It also identifies measures that could be taken to ensure that the seafaring profession remains attractive regardless of the rise in living standards and the choice of shore-based jobs. The projections in this paper are based on known statistics in the supply/demand of seafarers worldwide and estimates of the growth of the global shipping fleet, including certain political and economic aspects in countries that dominate the seafarer supply chain.

KEYWORDS: Maritime Education and Training (MET), Human Element, Seafarers, Seafarers’ Labour Market, Maritime Workforce, Supply and Demand of Seafarers, Working Conditions at Sea, Sustainability of Seafaring Profession

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