Danica’s 2025 Seafarer Survey highlights need for sustained investment in people

Danica’s 2025 Seafarer Survey highlights need for sustained investment in people
The Editorial Team November 11, 2025 https://safety4sea.com/danicas-2025-seafarer-survey-highlights-need-for-...

Danica’s latest Seafarer Survey reveals rising stress, early retirements, and ongoing wage challenges, underscoring the urgent need for the maritime industry to invest in its workforce.

The key finding of the survey is that the maritime sector must continue strengthening its focus on welfare, stability, and sustainable career pathways to retain the experienced seafarers and attract the next generation. Henrik Jensen, Managing Director of Danica Crewing Specialists, highlighted that the industry needs to do more to make seafaring a sustainable and attractive career.

Progress in training, insurance, and loyalty is encouraging but real change means supporting every aspect of a seafarer’s life at sea … Jensen explained.

Wages of seafarers

Senior officers saw no or limited increases in wages from 2024 to 2025, although more employers offered a seniority bonus system. An exception is experienced second engineers, who are in demand and saw an increase. Junior officers and ratings were remunerated at about the same level as in 2024, except for senior ratings (bosun, fitter, pumpman, and cooks), who remain in demand.

To remind, the latest Seafarers’ Seafarers Happiness Index found that compensation satisfaction has declined dramatically this quarter (6.81 ↓ from 7.52), representing one of the most significant drops across all categories. This substantial decrease reflects mounting frustration with stagnant wages despite increasing responsibilities, inflation, and the demanding nature of seagoing life.

Bullying, racism, and harassment

In 2025, 16% of respondents reported that they had been offended, compared to only 7% in 2019, when Danica conducted the first survey.

Mental well-being and rest hours

The mental well-being of seafarers declined, with as many as 44% reporting stress (up from 35% in 2024 and 28% in 2019) and 16% feeling mentally depressed during their last contract (up from 11% in 2023). Additionally, 37% reported violations of rest hours rules.

The mental health of the crew remains a persisting issue in the industry, For instance, the 2024 SEAFiT Crew Survey found that some of the top challenges for seafarers include inadequate healthcare coverage for mental health (58.9%), insufficient guidance on coping strategies (59.9%), and a lack of information on mental health symptoms (58.1%).
Fringes and benefits

Since 2019, there has been a 33% increase in seafarers receiving employer-paid private medical insurance covering themselves and their families. In total, 24% of respondents now have such insurance.

Contract length

The average onboard tenure is getting slightly shorter, particularly for junior tanker officers, where contract lengths have been reduced by 1–2 months. Shorter contracts combined with longer vacation periods require more seafarers and contribute to the ongoing crew shortage.

Retirement age expectations

Over the years, the age at which seafarers expect to retire from sea has declined. Currently, 42% expect to stop sailing before age 55, while only 36% expect to continue after their 60th birthday. This trend is likely to exacerbate the seafarer shortage in the coming years.

Employee retention

The survey indicates that seafarers are changing employers less frequently. The number of respondents with 24 months or more seniority with their current employer rose by 14% from 2024 to 2025. The primary reason seafarers change employers is to secure a higher salary (37%).

Training effectiveness

The number of seafarers who find the training provided useful has increased, with 64% rating it as “extremely useful” or “very useful.” However, 36% still find it less valuable. There has also been a steep increase in training related to cybersecurity.

Late salary payments

Thirty percent of respondents reported receiving their salaries late, and 9% reported not receiving their salaries in full. These figures remain unchanged from previous years.