By the end of 2026, the world will be short of 90,000 sailors
The global shipping industry is facing an unprecedented shortage of crew, which not only exacerbates the risk of overwork and shipwreck, but also keeps freight rates high.
According to Shipping Consultants analyst Rhett Harris, a crew shortage has long been a problem for the shipping industry, but the rapid growth in the number of ships in recent years has only exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance.
ICS predicts that by the end of 2026, there will be a shortage of 90,000 trained crew members worldwide. To address this challenge, countries need to roll out national strategies and actively recruit more diverse human resources to ensure the continued prosperity of the shipping industry. However, the increasing dangers of sea travel and the declining appeal of running boats to younger generations have exacerbated the problem.
Henrik Jensen, CEO of Danica Crewing Specialists, an international maritime recruitment and staffing service, says maritime personnel are now more likely to work onshore than at sea. Meanwhile, Daejin Lee, head of global research at trader FertiStream, said the high salary of crew members used to attract many people to join the industry, but now young people value work-life balance more and are not willing to work away from home for long periods of time.
Another serious consequence of the crew shortage is the aggravation of overwork and the frequent occurrence of maritime accidents. According to a 2014 study by the World Maritime University (WMU), more than 93% of the 9,214 seafarers surveyed cited overwork as the biggest challenge to maritime safety, and some 78% reported not missing a full day off during months-long contracts.
According to Shipping Consultants analyst Rhett Harris, a crew shortage has long been a problem for the shipping industry, but the rapid growth in the number of ships in recent years has only exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance.
ICS predicts that by the end of 2026, there will be a shortage of 90,000 trained crew members worldwide. To address this challenge, countries need to roll out national strategies and actively recruit more diverse human resources to ensure the continued prosperity of the shipping industry. However, the increasing dangers of sea travel and the declining appeal of running boats to younger generations have exacerbated the problem.
Henrik Jensen, CEO of Danica Crewing Specialists, an international maritime recruitment and staffing service, says maritime personnel are now more likely to work onshore than at sea. Meanwhile, Daejin Lee, head of global research at trader FertiStream, said the high salary of crew members used to attract many people to join the industry, but now young people value work-life balance more and are not willing to work away from home for long periods of time.
Another serious consequence of the crew shortage is the aggravation of overwork and the frequent occurrence of maritime accidents. According to a 2014 study by the World Maritime University (WMU), more than 93% of the 9,214 seafarers surveyed cited overwork as the biggest challenge to maritime safety, and some 78% reported not missing a full day off during months-long contracts.
