The shortage of STCW-certified officers has increased over the past five years, as has the surplus of STCW-certified ratings, according to a new report from Bimco and ICS.

The Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 estimates that a supply of 1,048,980 officers in 2026 represents a shortage of 39,100 compared to demand, while the current workforce of 1,516,600 ratings is a surplus of 56,890.

The latest instalment of the five-yearly report showed the shortage of officers has continued to grow since 2015 when it stood at 16,500 officers and 2021 when it was 26,240. The surplus of ratings, which stood at 119,000 in 2015, has resumed growth after contracting to 37,640 in the pandemic-influenced period of the 2021 report.

Overall demand for seafarers rose by 35% in the five years to 2026, a significant increase on the demand growth reported in both 2015 and 2021, likely driven by fleet growth and the industry’s post-pandemic recovery, said the report. In 2021, the authors predicted an increase in demand for officers of 89,510 by 2026, while the actual demand increase over the five years was 204,300.

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Supply of officers increased by 22% in 2021-2026, falling short of a 23.1% increase in demand; supply of ratings grew by 47%, outpacing demand growth of 46.3%.

While the increasing shortfall in officers over the past 15 years points to a growing challenge for shipping, the 2026 report contained some signs of hope for the coming years. The number of officer cadets had grown once again, and the ratio of officer cadets to qualified officers was 1:3.8, improving on 1:4.8 in 2021 and 1:7.6 in 2015. Officer cadet berths were also easier to find than in 2021, although ratings cadets continued to have an easier time finding berths than their officer cadet peers, and companies said it was easier to recruit ratings for the deck and engine room than it was to recruit engineering and deck officers.

Looking ahead, the report predicted demand in 2030 for 1,162,716 officers and 1,558,973 ratings, requiring compound annual growth in supply of 2.0% and 0.5%, respectively. The figures translate to an additional 113,735 officers by 2030 and 42,373 ratings.

To address the ongoing and worsening shortage of officers, the report recommends that maritime education and training and careers at sea are promoted with information on transitioning to shore-based roles. Maritime administrations are also advised to monitor seafarer recruitment and retention levels to inform the industry and policymakers on the seafaring workforce’s supply and demand situation.

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“The recruitment, training and retention of the seafarer workforce will be crucial to ensuring that our industry is prepared for the future. We have a big collective task ahead of us in working with all stakeholders and the countries that are the biggest suppliers of the seafarers operating our ships. The report can help ensure that recruitment and employment policies are future focused,” said Bimco secretary general & CEO, David Loosley.

“As shipping continues to evolve, attracting more people to careers in maritime is essential. We must continue our long-standing efforts to engage with young people early and build a strong pipeline of future talent. At the same time, retaining and developing our existing workforce is equally important,” said ICS secretary general, Thomas A. Kazakos.

“Without continued investment in both recruitment and training, the workforce gap risks growing at a time when the industry needs skilled seafarers more than ever.”