BIMCO and ICS report a shortfall of 39,100 certified officers in 2026
The Seafarer Workforce Report 2026, published jointly by BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping, estimates that the global fleet is served by approximately 2.57 million seafarers. Despite the size of that workforce, the report identifies a shortage of 39,100 officers holding certificates under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), alongside a surplus of 56,890 ratings.
The report warns that without intervention the officer shortfall will widen substantially. Its projections indicate that the gap between the supply of certified officers and demand could exceed 100,000 by 2030, driven by fleet growth and by the difficulty of retaining experienced officers at sea.
The findings rest on a supply-and-demand model of the global seafarer workforce, drawing on data supplied by shipping companies, crewing agencies and national administrations.
Why It Matters
Seafarer supply is an economic as well as a labour question. For countries such as Pakistan that supply officers and ratings to the international fleet, a structural officer shortage represents an opportunity — but only if training capacity, certification pathways and sea-time placement keep pace with demand. Ratings surpluses, by contrast, point to pressure on wages and progression at the entry level. The distinction matters for policy: expanding the number of cadets without expanding berths and training berths produces qualified seafarers who cannot complete their certification, while a shortage of officers cannot be resolved without long-term investment in maritime education. For Pakistan, where maritime training institutions already exist alongside a large seafaring community, the report frames a concrete question about how national training capacity connects to international demand.
Source
BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping — Read the original
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