Greece is preparing a new census of its maritime workforce, seeking a detailed picture of the people employed aboard Greek-flagged ships and parts of the country’s vast foreign-flagged, Greek-owned fleet.
The Hellenic Statistical Authority, known as ELSTAT, and Greece’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy will conduct the census with a reference date of Sept. 20, 2026.
The survey, carried out every two years, will cover both vessels and their crews and is intended to provide updated data on employment in one of the country’s most economically significant industries.
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Shipping has an outsized importance for Greece. Greek shipowners control one of the world’s largest merchant fleets, although a substantial portion of those vessels operate under foreign flags. That distinction is reflected in the scope of the census, which extends beyond ships formally registered in Greece.
The survey will cover Greek-flagged vessels of 100 gross registered tons or more, as well as Greek-owned vessels of the same minimum size sailing under foreign flags that have insurance arrangements with Greece’s Seamen’s Pension Fund, or NAT. The crews of those vessels will be counted regardless of nationality, meaning the census will include both Greek and foreign seafarers.
Authorities will collect information not only on the number of seafarers employed but also on their characteristics and on the basic identifying details of the vessels on which they work. To establish the population of ships covered by the survey, officials will draw on ELSTAT’s register of Greek merchant vessels of at least 100 gross registered tons and the corresponding records maintained by NAT.
Data will be gathered through a dedicated ship-and-crew census questionnaire. Depending on where a vessel is located and its circumstances, the forms will be completed with the involvement of shipmasters, Greek port authorities and Greek consular authorities in coastal locations abroad. Questionnaires will be available in both paper and electronic form.
The process highlights the logistical complexity of measuring employment in an industry whose workforce and assets are dispersed across ports and sea routes around the world. Greece’s maritime authorities will work with shipping companies, shipowners’ associations and other industry bodies to ensure that vessels falling within the census are identified and that completed questionnaires are returned.
The Maritime Affairs Ministry, primarily through its Directorate of Maritime Labour and in cooperation with other departments, will provide updated lists of vessels of at least 100 gross registered tons and of shipping companies. It will also be responsible for helping ensure that those required to participate submit complete questionnaires on time.
Participants that fail to respond by the deadline will receive reminders.
The timetable extends well beyond the September census date. Questionnaires are scheduled to be distributed to port and consular authorities, shipping associations, maritime companies and other participating bodies by Sept. 8, 2026. The census itself will take place on Sept. 20, while completed questionnaires are due back to ELSTAT by Oct. 20.
Processing will continue through much of 2027. ELSTAT plans to complete the checking and coding of questionnaires by Sept. 3, 2027, followed by computerized processing and tabulation of the data by Dec. 14. Final results are expected to be published no later than Dec. 21, 2027.
Before publication, ELSTAT will check submissions for completeness and accuracy, code the information and subject the resulting data to further quality controls. The findings will then be released through an official announcement accompanied by detailed statistical tables.
