BEIJING: The global ocean economy generated $3.5 trillion in gross value added in 2025 and supported 103 million full-time-equivalent jobs, according to a report released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The scale of the sector reflects the ocean’s central role in global trade, food production and coastal livelihoods. At the 7th Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance in Sanya, China, experts from several countries called for closer international cooperation in maritime security, fisheries and marine conservation.
“The ocean connects all of us,” said Jayanath Colombage, former chief of the Navy of Sri Lanka and former Sri Lankan ambassador to Indonesia, in an interview during the forum.
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2026
