Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2023
UK seafarers statistics on active at sea and non-UK seafarers qualified to work on UK registered vessels in 2023.
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These statistics show:
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there were an estimated 24,100 UK nationals active at sea in 2023, just 2% below the 2019 pre-pandemic figure
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52% of active seafarers were Officers (10,930 certificated and 1,540 uncertificated)
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42% of seafarers were Ratings, and there were 1,450 Officer Cadets in training during the financial year 2022 to 2023
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the majority of UK seafarers active at sea were male (84%), with most female seafarers working as Uncertificated Officers or as Ratings
These annual statistics are compiled from certification data held by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and data collected via the UK Chamber of Shipping Seafarer Employment Survey. Further details of the coverage of the statistics, uses and limitations can be found in the statistical release.
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly by emailing seafarer statistics with any comments about how we meet these standards.
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Seafarer statistics
Email seafarer.stats@dft.gov.uk
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