At a time when Greek shipping remains a global power on the seas, an interesting change is being recorded within the crews themselves.
The new Report of the Seamen’s Pension Fund (NAT) on Maritime Employment captures a silent, but impressive change: women are entering the maritime profession increasingly dynamically, recording a 77% increase in just six years, while overall Greek seafarers “are not aging,” since one in 3 is under 30 years old.
The signs of renewal and strengthening of the human resources of Greek shipping are recorded in the Fund’s 4th Annual Report 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 Labor and Shipping, as well as representatives of the shipping community.
In detail, the report’s data show that maritime employment in Greece continues its upward course, with the total number of registered seafarers reaching 26,902 in 2025, showing an increase of 2.6% compared to the previous year.
Of particular interest is the age composition of the Greek maritime workforce. According to NAT data, 70.4% of registered seafarers are up to 45 years old, while more than one in three (34.7%) are in the 18-30 age group. This is a picture that challenges the widespread perception that the maritime profession struggles to attract young people.
Even more impressive are the findings on women’s participation in maritime work. The number of women seafarers rose this year to 2,190 people, increased by 6.9% compared to 2024, while over a six-year period the increase reaches 77%.
The participation rate of women in the Greek maritime workforce now stands at 8.1%, a performance that far exceeds both the international and the European average. As noted during the presentation of the report, this specific performance is one of the highest recorded internationally and reflects the gradual change in the image of a profession that was traditionally considered male-dominated.
Presenting the main conclusions of the report, the scientific director of the publication, professor Gavriil Amitsis, noted that this year’s study captures the modern profile of the human resources of Greek shipping, while at the same time recording the developments taking shape at the European and international level around maritime employment.
During the event, Minister of Labor Niki Kerameus described human resources as the most important capital of Greek shipping, stressing that NAT’s annual reports have now evolved into an important documentation tool for policymaking in the field of maritime labor.
For his part, Deputy Minister of Shipping Stefanos Gkikas underlined that in the coming years dozens of new ships currently being built in Asian shipyards are expected to join the Greek-owned fleet, a fact that makes the need to strengthen the Greek maritime workforce even more urgent.
The outgoing governor of NAT, Georgia Maniati, underlined that the annual report has now been established as a reference institution for the shipping community, contributing to highlighting the trends and challenges shaping the future of the maritime profession.