Scotland's Marine Economic Statistics 2020

Summary

Marine economy

Scotland's marine economy includes activities dependant on the marine environment. They provide an important source of income and employment across Scotland. In 2020, the marine economy declined as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic:

• In 2020, the marine economy generated £4 billion in gross value added, 2.8% of the overall Scottish economy.
• In 2020, the marine economy employed 68,600 people (headcount), 2.6% of the total Scottish employment.
• Between 2019 and 2020, the marine economy's gross value added decreased by 27%.
• The longer term trend shows that between 2011 and 2020 the marine economy gross value added fell by 24%.

Sector performance

The economic contribution of some sectors, such as aquaculture, increased over the past ten years. Other sectors, such as oil and gas support services, decreased their economic contribution over the past ten years. However, all sectors declined between 2019 and 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The main changes are:

• From 2019 to 2020, the gross value added from aquaculture decreased by 39% to £362 million.
• In the longer term, from 2011 to 2020, the gross value added from aquaculture increased by 76%.
• The oil and gas support services gross value added decreased by 34% from 2011 to 2020.
• Marine tourism gross value added decreased by 44% from 2019 to 2020.
• The Scottish offshore wind sector, which is not included in the overall marine economy numbers, had an estimated turnover of £617 million in 2020.
• From 2014 to 2020, the turnover from the Scottish offshore wind farm industry increased by 466%.