Numbers and nationality of world's seafarers

The worldwide population of seafarers serving on internationally trading merchant ships

is estimated to be in the order of 466,000 officers and 721,000 ratings.

The OECD countries (North America, Western Europe, Japan etc.) remain an important
source for officers, but growing numbers of officers are now recruited from the Far East
and Eastern Europe. The majority of the shipping industry's ratings are recruited from
developing countries, especially the Far East and South East Asia.

The Philippines and India are very significant maritime labour supply nations, with
many seafarers from these countries enjoying employment opportunities on foreign flag
ships operated by international shipping companies. China has also seen a large increase
in the number of seafarers, but at the moment most of these work on the Chinese fleet,
meeting domestic requirements.

Eastern Europe has recently become an increasingly large supplier of seafarers with
high numbers from countries including the Ukraine, Croatia and Latvia.

Other major labour supply countries include Greece, Japan, Russia and the United
Kingdom.

Supply by Area of Domicile 2005 (Catering and hotel staff excluded).

Source: BIMCO/ISF estimates.
Top 20 beneficial ownership countries (January 2009)

Based on total deadweight tonnage controlled by parent companies located in these

countries.

Source: UNCTAD.
Top 20 largest shipping flags (July 2009)

Figures in brackets are millions of gross tonnes of shipping registered in the countries listed.
Source: Lloyd's Register Fairplay.
Value of volume of world trade by sea
It is difficult to quantify the value of volume of world seaborne trade in monetary terms,
as figures for trade estimates are traditionally in terms of tonnes or tonne-miles, and are
therefore not comparable with monetary-based statistics for the value of the world
economy.

However, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

estimates that the operation of merchant ships contributes about US$380 billion in
freight rates within the global economy, equivalent to about 5% of total world trade.

Shipping trade estimates are often calculated in tonne-miles, as a way of measuring the volume
of trade (or "transportation work ", as it is sometimes referred). In 2008, for example, it is
estimated that the industry transported over 7.7 thousand million tonnes of cargo, equivalent to
a total volume of world trade by sea of over 32 thousand billion tonne-miles.

World seaborne trade 1969-2010

Source: Fearnley's Review

Throughout the last century the shipping industry has seen a general trend of increases in total trade
volume. Increasing industrialisation and the liberalisation of national economies have fuelled free trade
and a growing demand for consumer products. Advances in technology have also made shipping an
increasingly efficient and swift method of transportation. Over the last four decades total seaborne trade
estimates have quadrupled, from just over 8 thousand billion tonne-miles in 1968 to over 32 thousand
billion tonne-miles in 2008.
As with all industrial sectors, however, shipping can be susceptible to economic downturns. Indeed,
following several years of incredibly buoyant shipping markets, for many trades the best in living
memory, much of the international shipping industry has fallen prey to the worldwide economic
downturn. Shipping is inherently the servant of the economy, so the contraction in trade, following the
beginning of the ‘credit crunch’ in late 2008, has translated into a dramatic and abrupt reduction in
demand for shipping.

Notwithstanding the current gloom and doom, the longer term outlook for the industry remains very good.
The world’s population continues to expand, and emerging economies will continue to increase their
requirements for the goods and raw materials that shipping transports so safely and efficiently. In the
longer term, the fact that shipping is the most fuel efficient and carbon friendly form of commercial
transport should work in favour of an even greater proportion of world trade being carried by sea.
Number of ships (by total and trade)
As of 1st July 2009, the world fleet was made up of 53,005 ships.

Different sectors as percentage of total number of ships in world

fleet: July 2009

Figures in brackets are numbers of ships, by sector.

Source: Lloyd's Register Fairplay July 2009

General Cargo ships (17,104)

Bulk Carriers (7,787)
Container ships (4,678)
Tankers (14,095)
Passenger ships (6,839)

Other (2,502)

TOTAL (53,005)