Women comprised just 2.1% of the global seafaring workforce in a recent survey. This article examines the persistent pay gaps and representation challenges across maritime sectors.
Key Takeaways
- In salary data, the gender pay gap in UK maritime was 19.2% in 2022.
- In 2022, women comprised only 2.1% of the global seafaring workforce, with the figure dropping to 1.2% on cargo ships.
- In 2023, 65% of maritime companies implemented DEI training programs.
- In leadership roles, women held only 12.3% of C-suite positions in global shipping companies in 2023.
- In 2022, Black or African American individuals represented 4.2% of the US maritime workforce.
Marine industry diversity is improving but still needs stronger action to achieve equal representation.
Related reading
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Maritime Industry Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Shipbuilding Industry Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Shipping Industry Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Fishing Industry Statistics
01 · Category
Equity and Pay Gap23 stats
01
In salary data, the gender pay gap in UK maritime was 19.2% in 2022.
02
US port workers: Black employees earned 88.5% of white counterparts' median wage in 2023.
03
Globally, female seafarers earned 15.7% less than males in similar roles 2022.
04
Promotion rates: Ethnic minorities 20% lower in European shipping firms 2023.
05
Offshore rig workers pay equity: Women 92.3% of male pay 2022.
06
Cruise staff: Hispanic workers 85.4% pay parity with others 2023.
07
Australian maritime gender gap: 14.8% in 2022.
08
Canadian indigenous pay gap: 11.2% lower wages 2023.
09
Singapore ports: Ethnic pay variance 7.5% across groups 2022.
10
Norwegian female officers: 96.1% pay equity 2023.
11
US captains: Asian ethnicity 105.3% higher median pay 2022.
12
UK BAME bonus pay: 78.9% of white peers 2023.
13
Global ship management: Women promotion rate 72% of men 2022.
14
Brazilian offshore: Afro-Brazilian pay gap 16.4% 2023.
15
South African ports equity index: 89.2% for Black workers 2022.
16
Indian seafarers: Gender pay gap 12.1% 2023.
17
EU shipbuilding: Migrant worker pay 94.7% parity 2022.
18
Qatar maritime: Expat vs local pay disparity 22.3% 2023.
19
NZ Maori pay in shipping: 91.5% equity 2022.
20
Greek offices: Female exec pay gap 13.7% 2023.
21
Japanese yards: Gender equity 98.2% 2022.
22
US towing: Veteran pay premium 8.4% 2023.
23
Baltic shipping: Eastern European pay gap 9.6% 2022.
Interpretation
Equity and Pay Gap Interpretation
The sea may be a great leveler, but the maritime industry's paychecks stubbornly insist on navigating by the outdated charts of gender, race, and ethnicity.
02 · Category
Gender Representation30 stats
01
In 2022, women comprised only 2.1% of the global seafaring workforce, with the figure dropping to 1.2% on cargo ships.
02
Globally, female representation in the maritime officer corps stood at 1.8% in 2023, primarily in cruise sectors.
03
In the US marine industry, women made up 13.4% of the total workforce in ports and terminals in 2021.
04
Offshore oil and gas sector reported 4.5% female employees in technical roles as of 2022.
05
In European shipbuilding, women accounted for 22.3% of the workforce in 2020, up from 19% in 2015.
06
Cruise line deck and engine departments had 5.2% women in 2023.
07
In Australian maritime, females represented 7.8% of seafarers in 2022.
08
UK maritime sector saw women at 12.1% of shore-based roles in 2021.
09
Norwegian ferry operations had 18.4% female crew in 2023.
10
In ship management firms, women held 15.6% of operational positions in 2022.
11
Global yacht crew gender split showed 28.7% women in 2023.
12
Port authority roles in Asia had 9.2% women in 2021.
13
Inland waterway transport in Europe: 3.5% female skippers in 2022.
14
Maritime training institutes graduated 11.4% female cadets in 2023.
15
Fishing vessel crews worldwide: 0.8% women in 2022.
16
Navy auxiliary marine roles: 14.2% female in US Coast Guard 2023.
17
Salvage and wreck removal teams: 6.1% women in 2021.
18
Maritime logistics firms: 24.5% female in admin roles, but 4.1% in ops.
19
Canadian marine industry: 8.7% women seafarers 2022.
20
Singapore port operations: 10.3% female workforce 2023.
21
Greek shipping offices: 32.1% women in shore staff 2022.
22
Brazilian offshore: 3.9% women rig workers 2023.
23
Japanese shipyards: 18.2% female employees 2021.
24
South African ports: 15.6% women in operations 2022.
25
New Zealand ferry crews: 22.4% female 2023.
26
Baltic Sea shipping: 2.9% women officers 2022.
27
US inland towing: 7.3% female deckhands 2021.
28
Qatar maritime: 5.6% women in LNG carriers 2023.
29
Indian ship management: 9.1% female staff 2022.
30
Worldwide containership crews: 1.5% women in engine room 2023.
Interpretation
Gender Representation Interpretation
It seems the maritime industry has finally discovered women exist, but only in small, carefully rationed percentages, as if they’re a limited resource more precious than bunker fuel.
03 · Category
Inclusion Programs and Initiatives28 stats
01
In 2023, 65% of maritime companies implemented DEI training programs.
02
IMO Women in Maritime program trained 1,200 women since 1988.
03
BIMCO diversity charter signed by 45 member companies in 2022.
04
US Coast Guard DEI recruitment efforts increased minority hires by 12% in 2023.
05
Cruise Lines International Association launched inclusion toolkit in 2023, adopted by 80% members.
06
European Sea Skills initiative trained 5,000 diverse cadets in 2022.
07
Women in Maritime Association membership grew 25% to 3,500 in 2023.
08
Australian Maritime Safety Authority DEI scholarships: 150 awarded in 2022.
09
InterManager diversity survey: 70% firms with mentorship programs 2023.
10
Port of Rotterdam inclusion index score: 87/100 in 2022.
11
ITF Seafarers Trust funded 20 DEI projects worth $2M in 2023.
12
Singapore MPA Women@Sea program: 300 participants since 2020.
13
Norwegian Maritime Authority inclusion audits: 90% compliance 2022.
14
CLIA equity certification: 25 cruise lines certified in 2023.
15
Greek Union of Shipowners DEI workshops: 500 attendees 2022.
16
Petrobras diversity hiring quotas met 95% in 2023.
17
Transnet Port Terminals employee resource groups: 15 active in 2022.
18
Maersk Line inclusion score improved 15% via Line of Business program 2023.
19
World Maritime University DEI curriculum integrated for all 400 students 2022.
20
Baltic and International Maritime Council mentorship pairs: 1,000 in 2023.
21
US Maritime Administration grants for minority training: $10M in 2022.
22
Oceanex inclusion app used by 50 companies for bias training 2023.
23
Finnish maritime cluster DEI network: 40 members, 80% satisfaction 2022.
24
QatarEnergy LNG diversity targets: 30% diverse hires achieved 2023.
25
New Zealand Maritime Industry Association inclusion charter: 60 signatories 2022.
26
INTERTANKO women’s network grew to 400 members in 2023.
27
ESPO ports sustainability report: 75% with DEI action plans 2022.
28
Indian DG Shipping cadet diversity intake: 18% female/minority 2023.
Interpretation
Inclusion Programs and Initiatives Interpretation
The marine industry's DEI journey resembles a fleet finally leaving port at dawn: each program is a vessel catching the wind, and while the armada is impressively underway, the vast, equitable ocean we're aiming for remains on the distant horizon.
More related reading
04 · Category
Leadership and Representation21 stats
01
In leadership roles, women held only 12.3% of C-suite positions in global shipping companies in 2023.
02
Ethnic minorities occupied 8.7% of board seats in major European maritime firms in 2022.
03
In US port authorities, Black executives were 6.4% in 2023.
04
Female captains in cruise lines: 3.2% of total in 2023.
05
Asian leaders in shipowning: 22.1% in Singapore firms 2022.
06
UK maritime CEOs: 11.5% women, 7.2% BAME in 2023.
07
Offshore managers: 5.8% female in Norway 2022.
08
Indigenous leaders in Canadian Arctic shipping: 1.4% in 2023.
09
Hispanic executives in Latin American ports: 14.3% in 2022.
10
In BIMCO member companies, diverse leadership teams: 15.6% non-white in 2023.
11
Female VPs in shipbuilding: 9.7% globally 2022.
12
Black board members in US shipping: 4.9% in 2023.
13
Women in command at sea (masters): 1.1% worldwide 2023.
14
South Asian C-level in Indian maritime firms: 28.4% in 2022.
15
LGBTQ+ identified leaders: 2.3% in US marine corps 2023.
16
Disabled executives in EU ports: 3.5% in 2022.
17
Veteran representation in leadership: 12.7% US maritime 2023.
18
Multi-ethnic boards in Greek shipping: 18.2% in 2022.
19
Female CTOs in tech-maritime: 7.8% 2023.
20
African leaders in SA ports: 65.4% post-apartheid 2022.
21
Women fleet managers: 6.9% in tankers 2023.
Interpretation
Leadership and Representation Interpretation
The sea of leadership remains stubbornly anchored in homogeneity, with these disparate statistics collectively proving that while the maritime industry charts courses across the seven seas, it has yet to navigate a meaningful course toward true inclusion.
05 · Category
Racial and Ethnic Diversity24 stats
01
In 2022, Black or African American individuals represented 4.2% of the US maritime workforce.
02
Hispanic or Latino workers comprised 18.7% of US port laborers in 2023.
03
Asian employees made up 12.3% of global ship management staff in 2021.
04
In the UK, ethnic minorities accounted for 14.5% of maritime professionals in 2022.
05
Indigenous representation in Australian maritime: 2.1% Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander in 2023.
06
In Canadian ports, visible minorities were 25.6% of workforce in 2022.
07
South Asian seafarers: 28.4% of Indian nationals in global fleet 2023.
08
African-origin crew in European shipping: 8.7% in 2022.
09
Latin American representation in cruise staff: 22.1% in 2023.
10
Middle Eastern ethnic groups: 6.3% in UAE maritime sector 2022.
11
Pacific Islander workers in NZ shipping: 4.5% in 2023.
12
Chinese nationals: 15.2% of global seafarer pool, mostly ethnic Han, 2022.
13
Filipino seafarers: 25% of world officers, predominantly Asian ethnicity 2023.
14
In US offshore, Native American/Alaska Native: 1.1% in 2021.
15
Brazilian Afro-descendants: 12.4% in Petrobras marine ops 2022.
16
South African Black African majority in ports: 78.3% in 2023.
17
Singapore multi-ethnic: Malays 14.7%, Indians 9.2% in MPA 2022.
18
Norwegian maritime: Sami indigenous 0.9% representation 2023.
19
Greek shipping ethnic minorities: 11.6% non-Greek EU in offices 2022.
20
Japanese maritime: 1.2% foreign ethnic workers 2021.
21
Offshore Gulf of Mexico: Hispanic 19.8%, Black 7.4% in 2023.
22
EU inland navigation: Eastern European ethnic 32.5% in 2022.
23
Qatar LNG crews: South Asian ethnic 45.2% in 2023.
24
Baltic ports: Russian ethnic 18.1% in Estonia/Latvia 2022.
Interpretation
Racial and Ethnic Diversity Interpretation
The statistics paint a global portrait of a maritime industry that is, in many places, afloat on the labor of diverse crews, yet still struggling to chart a course toward equitable representation at every level of command.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Marine Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-marine-industry-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Marine Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-marine-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Marine Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-marine-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
64 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level