Scotland's Marine Economic Statistics 2018

The Chief Statistician released experimental statistics today showing that in 2018, the Scottish marine economy generated £4.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA), a decrease of 17% from 2017 (adjusted to 2018 prices). In 2018, the Scottish marine economy provided employment for 74,200 people, a decrease of less than 1% from 2017. 

Several sectors contributed to the 17% decrease in GVA between 2017 and 2018 including oil and gas support services, shipbuilding and aquaculture. Between 2017 and 2018, oil and gas support services GVA decreased by 17%, shipbuilding GVA decreased by 41% and aquaculture GVA decreased by 45%.

The oil and gas services sector was the biggest contributor to the marine economy GVA in 2018, providing 42% of the marine economy GVA (£1.8 billion) and 22% of the employment (16,600 headcount). Marine tourism was the biggest contributor to employment in 2018, contributing 40% of the marine economy employment (29,700 headcount) and 13% of the marine economy GVA (£579 million).  

Geographically, Aberdeen City accounted for 39% of the marine economy's GVA for 2018, with Aberdeenshire the next highest with 22%. This highlights a strong concentration of the marine economy in the North East of Scotland, linked to the location of oil and gas services, commercial fishing and fish processing industries. 

Background

Scotland’s Marine Economic Statistics is an experimental statistics publication produced by the Marine Analytical Unit (MAU) in Marine Scotland. The full statistical publication provides a time series of GVA, turnover and employment for industrial categories defined as part of the marine economy. They are largely based on data from the Scottish Annual Business Statistics, supplemented by separate fishing and aquaculture data.

All of the statistics presented relate only to the direct economic contributions of the sectors to Scotland’s economy and not to the indirect contributions that arise from their wider supply chains. All GVA and turnover values are adjusted to 2018 prices. For more information on the methodology used to produce these statistics please refer to Annex B of the full statistical publication.

The figures released are classed as Experimental Statistics though they were produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics.