Dutch ports are doing well. Also Amsterdam
Port employment and the contribution of the Dutch maritime cluster to the national economy are doing well. Direct added value in the North Sea Canal area also increased from 5.43 to 6.74 billion euros. More than 80,000 people work directly and indirectly for the Amsterdam Seaport.
The figures relate to 2022 and come from the recent Maritime, Labor Market and Port Monitor by Erasmus UPT and Ecorys. They are conducting the study in cooperation with Nederland Maritiem Land on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
GDP
In 2022, total direct value added was €25.9 billion. Indirectly, €5.2 billion was added. Total turnover now amounts to €95.2 billion. The entire maritime cluster thus generates about 3.2% (2021: 3.0%) of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Netherlands. Including indirect added value (€22.0 billion), the total added value of the combined cluster comes to €72.4 billion in 2022. The total employment effects of the cluster add up to 575,490 employees in 2022.
Employment
The maritime cluster employed 305,765 workers in 2022, of which approximately 201,914 are direct labor. With this, the maritime cluster provides 3.0% (2021: 3.0%) of employment in the Netherlands. The direct added value of the maritime cluster has increased by 21% compared to 2021, increasing faster than direct employment (+2.5% compared to 2021). The monitor speaks of a strong coronal recovery. In fact, total employment (including indirect effects) increased by 6.0% in 2022. For 2022, 3.0% of direct employment in the Netherlands is due to the combined port and maritime cluster. When indirect effects are also included, the combined port and maritime cluster provides 5.7% of employment in the Netherlands.
Substantial increase
The direct added value of the combined port and maritime cluster amounted to €50.4 billion in 2022. A substantial increase compared to 2021 and 2020 (2021: €39.0 billion and 2020: €32.8 billion). Combined direct employment in the port and maritime cluster was equal to 303,960 in 2022 (measured in employees).
Ships
The maritime sector is enormously broad: from ports to offshore, from fishing to maritime and inland navigation, and from knowledge institutes to services. But the sector has one common denominator: ships. They are essential for transportation, food production, coastal protection and defense. In addition, they play a fundamental role in the generation of renewable energy at sea.
Export
Total exports of the maritime cluster in 2022 were over €59.5 billion. In 2021, the figure was €52.0 billion. Thus, the export performance of the maritime cluster has grown strongly. Out of total exports from the Netherlands of €731 billion, the maritime cluster's share in this is 8.1%.
National
If we plot these data against Dutch GDP, the direct value added contribution of the combined cluster to Dutch GDP is 5.3% and when the indirect effects are also included, the contribution of the combined cluster is 7.5% of Dutch GDP over 2022. In recent years, the value-added contribution has increased significantly from 6.2% in 2020 and 6.8% in 2021.
Source: Netherlands Maritime Land Foundation. The full report can be read here.
