Economic Activity Relevant to the Ocean

TG-3.3 Section 3: Compiling Ocean Accounts from Relevant Data Applied Draft

Circular ID	TG-3.3
Version	6.0
Badge	Applied
Status	Draft
Last Updated	February 2026

1. Outcome

1After completing this Circular, readers will be able to define and measure the ocean economy using thematic and extended accounting principles, identify ocean-related industries using the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), compile supply and use tables for ocean economy sectors, and measure key aggregates including gross value added (GVA), employment, and the contribution of ocean activities to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The guidance enables compilation of accounts that are consistent with the System of National Accounts 2025 (SNA 2025) and that integrate with the broader Ocean Accounts framework described in TG-0.1 General Introduction to Ocean Accounts and the statistical standards outlined in TG-0.2 Overview of Relevant Statistical Standards. This Circular supports the derivation of indicators for macro-level economic dependencies on the ocean (TG-2.2 Macro-level Dependencies), ocean economy structure (TG-2.5 Ocean Economy Structure), investment analysis (TG-2.6 Ocean Investment), and resource efficiency (TG-2.11 Resource Efficiency).

2. Requirements

1Essential prerequisites:

• 2TG-0.1 General Introduction to Ocean Accounts: conceptual framework and key components of Ocean Accounts
• 3TG-0.2 Overview of Relevant Statistical Standards: international statistical standards underpinning ocean accounting

4Framework Position

5This Circular addresses the economic flows within the SNA production boundary (FG1). Ocean economy accounts measure production, income, supply/use, and capital flows that interact with SNA assets (E3). Economic activity also contributes to social conditions through employment and livelihoods (E5), whilst governance and institutional frameworks enable economic flows (E7). In the Ocean Accounts Framework (TG-0.1 Figure 0.1.2):

Edge	Direction	Description
E3	FG1↔SG1	Monetary and physical flows between economic sectors and SNA assets (Applied)
E5	FG1→SG2	Economic activities contributing to social conditions (Emerging)
E7	SG2→FG1	Social assets enabling economic flows (Emerging)

3. Guidance Material

3.1 Policy Context and Use Cases

1Governments compile ocean economy accounts to answer specific questions from budget officials, economic planners, and marine resource managers. These questions drive data needs and shape compilation priorities. The decision context also determines which analytical approaches best serve policy needs.

Budget justification and expenditure allocation

1National budget processes require quantified evidence of a sector’s contribution to national income and employment to justify public expenditure on ocean management, fisheries governance, port infrastructure, and marine environmental protection. Budget officials preparing medium-term expenditure frameworks ask what share of GDP the ocean economy represents, how many jobs depend on ocean activities, what fiscal revenue ocean industries contribute, and what return public investment in port infrastructure or marine protected area enforcement yields.

2Ocean economy accounts provide the evidence base for these questions. The thematic and extended accounts framework described in this Circular enables compilers to derive ocean economy GVA (the direct contribution to GDP), ocean employment aggregates, ocean economy exports, and ocean economy investment, the four core indicators required for budget presentation structures described in TG-1.1 OA and National Budget Processes. The supply and use tables compiled under Section 3.5 below provide the analytical foundation for answering budget questions about sectoral composition, inter-industry linkages, and government expenditure on ocean-related functions.

Structural indicators and economic planning

1Structural indicators derived from ocean economy accounts inform medium-term economic planning, workforce development strategies, trade policy, and investment promotion. Governments preparing national development plans require data on the relative importance of different ocean industries (fishing, offshore energy, shipping, tourism), labour productivity by ocean sector, capital intensity patterns, and trends in ocean economy structure over time. The indicator derivation methods described in TG-2.5 Ocean Economy Structure draw directly on the ocean economy supply and use tables compiled under this Circular, and convert that accounting data into policy-ready metrics.

2The ocean economy accounts framework also supports analysis of economic dependencies on marine resources. For Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and coastal low-income countries, where fisheries may account for 15—25 per cent of GDP and 30—50 per cent of export earnings, the accounts provide the data required for assessing national economic vulnerability to overfishing, climate impacts on fish stocks, and shifts in global seafood markets¹. This analytical application is addressed in TG-2.2 Macro-level Dependencies.

Investment analysis and sustainable finance

1Ocean economy accounts support investment analysis by providing data on gross fixed capital formation by ocean industry, capital productivity, and the relationship between capital accumulation and output growth. These data are required by financial institutions designing blue bonds, governments preparing public-private partnership frameworks for port development, and development finance institutions allocating concessional finance to sustainable ocean sectors. The measurement of conventional GFCF in ocean industries and the emerging area of sustainable ocean finance tracking are addressed in TG-2.6 Ocean Investment. The ocean economy supply and use tables compiled under this Circular provide the production-side data required for that investment analysis.

2Economic accounting for the ocean encompasses the measurement of all economic activities that are relevant to the ocean, including fishing, shipping, coastal tourism, and offshore energy. This Circular provides the methodological framework for identifying, classifying, and measuring these activities within a coherent accounting structure. The guidance draws on thematic and extended accounting principles established in the System of National Accounts² and the ocean accounts framework described in SEEA Ecosystem Accounting³. It also draws on practical experience from countries that have implemented ocean economy measurement programmes, and the analogous framework developed for tourism in the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism⁴.

3The terminology used to describe this domain varies across countries and institutions. ‘Ocean economy’, ‘marine economy’, and ‘blue economy’ are all in wide use, sometimes interchangeably and sometimes with distinct connotations. ‘Blue economy’, in particular, often carries normative implications of sustainability and equity that go beyond measurement. Whilst conceptual differences exist among these terms, the accounting framework described in this Circular can accommodate different definitional choices, provided that the scope and boundaries adopted are clearly documented. Compilers should specify the terminology and scope used in their compilations to support transparency and comparability.

3.2 Defining the Ocean Economy

1The ocean economy (also referred to as the ‘marine economy’ or ‘blue economy’) comprises the economic activities that derive outputs from the ocean, use the ocean as an input to production, or provide goods and services directly to ocean-related activities⁵. This definition encompasses a spectrum from activities entirely dependent on the ocean (such as marine fishing) to activities that are partially ocean-related (such as coastal tourism, where visitors may engage in both marine and non-marine activities).

Conceptual boundaries

1Defining the ocean economy requires clear boundaries around which activities are included. Following the ocean accounts framework in SEEA EA, the ocean economy can be understood in terms of three relationships between economic activities and the ocean⁶:

1. 2

   Ocean-dependent activities — activities that directly extract resources from, operate on, or harvest products from the ocean. These include marine fishing, aquaculture, offshore oil and gas extraction, sea and coastal water transport, and offshore renewable energy generation. These activities are intrinsically linked to the ocean and would not exist in its absence.

2. 3

   Ocean-related activities — activities that provide goods and services to ocean-dependent activities, or that process products originating from the ocean. These include shipbuilding and repair, fish processing, port and harbour operations, marine scientific research, and maritime education. The ocean is essential to these activities, though they do not operate directly on or in the ocean.

3. 4

   Partially ocean-related activities — activities where the ocean is one among several inputs or outputs. Coastal tourism is the primary example: visitors may stay in coastal accommodation and engage in marine recreation, but they also consume goods and services unrelated to the ocean. For these activities, the ocean economy accounts should estimate the share attributable to the ocean.

5This three-tier categorisation aligns with approaches used by the OECD and various national ocean economy measurement programmes but is not a formally standardised classification. Countries may adapt these boundaries based on national circumstances and policy priorities, and should document the choices made to ensure transparency and comparability.

Operational decision rule for partially ocean-related activities

1An activity is assigned to the ‘partially ocean-related’ tier when ocean-attributable revenue is a material share of establishment output. As an indicative materiality benchmark, this guidance suggests a figure of around 5 per cent of establishment output: activities whose ocean-attributable revenue falls well below this level are generally excluded from the ocean economy accounts rather than assigned a near-zero ratio. The 5 per cent figure is a pragmatic operational choice adopted by this guidance, not a value drawn from an external standard. SF-MST (paras 2.31—2.35) applies a qualitative ‘significant share’ criterion to identify tourism characteristic activities but does not specify a numeric threshold⁷. The 5 per cent benchmark operationalises that significance principle for the ocean economy context. SNA 2025 Chapter 38 para 38.8 notes that thematic accounts should focus on activities with material contributions to the phenomenon being measured. The benchmark is indicative rather than a rigid cut-off: compilers should apply judgement for activities close to the boundary and document the basis for inclusion or exclusion.

2The following decision flowchart guides the classification of a candidate activity:

1. 3Does the activity directly extract resources from, operate on, or harvest products from the ocean? Yes → Ocean-dependent (Tier 1, ratio = 1.0). No → proceed to step 2.
2. 4Does the activity provide goods or services predominantly to ocean-dependent activities, or process ocean-origin products? Yes → Ocean-related (thematic scope, ratio estimated directly). No → proceed to step 3.
3. 5Is ocean-attributable revenue a material share of establishment output (indicatively, around 5 per cent or more)? Yes → Partially ocean-related (Tier 1, ratio to be estimated). No → Exclude from ocean economy accounts.

6Compilers should document the data source and methodology used to apply the materiality benchmark for each partially ocean-related industry included in their compilation, including any judgement exercised for activities close to the boundary. Figure 3.3.1 presents this three-gate routing as a decision tree. The Q3 materiality gate is the step most commonly misapplied.

Figure 3.3.1 Three sequential gates route a candidate activity to ocean-dependent, ocean-related, partially ocean-related, or excluded. Q3 materiality uses an indicative 5% benchmark, not a hard cut-off; that gate is the most commonly misapplied. Source: TG-3.3, operational decision rule for partially ocean-related activities (three-gate routing) and the indicative 5 % materiality benchmark.

Scope of the ocean economy

1There is no single agreed definition of the ocean economy. Different institutions approach its scope differently, as analytical purposes and national circumstances vary. Conceptual frameworks for delineating the ocean economy typically include some or all of the following categories⁸:

1. 2Economic activity physically located on the ocean (e.g., shipping, marine fishing, offshore energy extraction)
2. 3Economic activity physically proximate to the ocean (e.g., coastal tourism, coastal aquaculture, port operations)
3. 4Economic sectors on land that depend on natural inputs from the ocean (e.g., fish processing, construction materials derived from marine aggregates)
4. 5Economic activity providing goods or services to ocean-based sectors (e.g., shipbuilding, marine engineering, maritime insurance)
5. 6Market value of natural inputs derivable from SEEA CF monetary flow accounts, and market and non-market ecosystem service values derivable from SEEA EA supply accounts
6. 7Indirect and intermediate expenditures on goods and services used by direct ocean activities (backward linkages through supply chains)
7. 8Induced and final demand expenditures enabled by direct and indirect ocean activities (household spending from ocean economy wages and profits)

9This seven-part framework synthesises approaches from multiple sources, including the OECD (2016), various national ocean economy programmes, and the broader environmental-economic accounting literature. It should be understood as a complementary applied categorisation, not a classification prescribed by the SEEA or SNA. Categories 1—4 define the core scope used by most national ocean economy programmes. Categories 5—7 extend the measurement boundary for advanced analytical applications.

10The first four categories correspond broadly to the direct economic activities that form the core of most national ocean economy measurement programmes. Categories five through seven extend the measurement boundary: category five captures ecosystem contributions, category six supply chain linkages, and category seven macroeconomic multiplier effects. The specific categories included in any particular compilation depend on data availability, analytical objectives, and the accounting frameworks employed. Figure 3.3.2 sets out how the seven categories map onto the Tier 1 / Tier 2 boundary. The double-rule marks the prohibition on summing the SNA-comparable core (categories 1—4) with the extension (categories 5—7). The relationship between ecosystem service values (category five) and economic activity is addressed further in TG-2.4 Ecosystem Goods and Services and TG-3.2 Flows from the Environment to the Economy.

Figure 3.3.2 The Tier 1 / Tier 2 split is the SNA production boundary: Tier 1 and Tier 2 must never be summed together. Tier 1 sums within-tier to GDP-comparable ocean-economy GVA; Tier 2 items are optional extensions reported separately. Source: TG-3.3 §"Scope of the ocean economy" (seven-category framework and tiered implementation note); multiplier caveat per TG-3.3 Section 6.

11The 2025 SNA supports the compilation of thematic and extended accounts (formerly known as satellite accounts) for the ocean economy. Chapter 38 of the SNA 2025 describes thematic and extended accounts as “flexible tools for increasing the visibility of key phenomena by bringing all the pertinent data together in one place” (para 38.2)⁹. The SNA distinguishes the two (para 38.6): thematic accounts disaggregate and rearrange items within the integrated framework of the SNA, whilst extended accounts expand or modify the boundaries applied in that framework to give a fuller view of a phenomenon. Ocean economy measurement typically involves both: thematic accounts that provide detailed breakdowns of ocean-related industries within the existing national accounts framework, and extended accounts that incorporate ecosystem service values or other elements beyond the standard SNA production boundary. The SNA 2025 explicitly identifies oceans as an area where the core ecosystem accounting framework can be applied using thematic and extended accounting principles (para 35.63), and SEEA Ecosystem Accounting describes thematic accounting for oceans as a specific application (para A1.135)¹⁰.

Spatial considerations

1The spatial dimension of the ocean economy intersects with the concept of Economic Exclusive Zones (EEZs) established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)¹¹. A country’s ocean economy includes:

• 2Activities occurring within its territorial waters and EEZ
• 3Activities by resident enterprises operating in international waters (such as distant-water fishing fleets), recorded as production of resident units
• 4Coastal and land-based activities that serve ocean-related purposes (such as ports and fish processing plants)

5Activities by non-resident units operating within a country’s EEZ under licence or quota arrangements require careful treatment. The SNA 2025 addresses this specifically: when non-resident units make use of quota established for fishing in a country’s EEZ, the coastal state is treated as owning the fish stocks, with the licence fees representing rent payments from the non-resident fishing enterprise to the coastal state¹².

6For areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement on 17 January 2026 may provide new frameworks for statistical treatment as governance arrangements develop¹³. Compilers should monitor developments in this area. Data considerations for ABNJ are addressed in TG-6.6 Deep-Sea and ABNJ.

Relationship to ecosystem services

1The ocean economy as defined here is distinct from the ecosystem services supplied by marine ecosystems, though the two are related. Ecosystem services represent the contributions of ecosystems to economic activity and human well-being¹⁴. The ocean economy, in contrast, represents the economic activities themselves. Fish harvested from the ocean represents an ecosystem service (biomass provisioning). The fishing industry that conducts the harvest is part of the ocean economy. The link between these concepts is addressed in TG-2.4 Ecosystem Goods and Services and TG-3.2 Flows from the Environment to the Economy.

3.3 Ocean Economy Thematic and Extended Accounts

1The most statistically consistent approach to measuring the ocean economy applies thematic and extended accounting principles from the System of National Accounts. The SNA 2025 describes these as accounts that provide complementary data allowing insight into a key activity or aspect of the economy that lacks visibility in the integrated framework of national accounts (formerly known as ‘satellite accounts’)¹⁵. The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)¹⁶ provides a well-established model that has been adapted for ocean economy measurement in several countries.

2Ocean economy measurement and tourism measurement are closely analogous. In both frameworks, economic activity is defined by its relationship to a particular domain (the ocean or tourism), which industry classification alone does not capture. Tourism measurement delineates a functional segment of the economy that cuts across multiple ISIC industries: tourists consume accommodation services, food services, transport services, and recreation services, none of which is exclusively a tourism industry. The ocean economy likewise encompasses marine fishing, offshore energy, maritime transport, shipbuilding, port operations, coastal tourism, and marine research, all distributed across multiple ISIC divisions. The concept of ‘tourism characteristic products’ and ‘tourism characteristic activities’ from the SF-MST (paras 2.33—2.35)¹⁷ translates directly to the ocean economy context as ‘ocean-characteristic products’ and ‘ocean-characteristic activities’.

Principles of thematic and extended accounting

1Thematic and extended accounts for the ocean economy follow four principles derived from the SNA¹⁸:

1. 2

   Conceptual consistency — the thematic account uses the same concepts and definitions as the SNA (output, intermediate consumption, value added, employment), so that ocean economy measures are consistent with and comparable to broader economic statistics.

2. 3

   Flexible boundaries — whilst maintaining conceptual consistency, the extended account can expand boundaries to include activities or products that merit special focus for analytical purposes, such as non-market ecosystem services or unpaid household production in coastal communities.

3. 4

   Characteristic products and activities — following the TSA approach, ocean economy accounts identify ‘ocean-characteristic products’ (goods and services whose production depends on the ocean) and ‘ocean-characteristic activities’ (industries whose output consists predominantly of ocean-characteristic products).

4. 5

   Supply and use framework — the thematic account organises data in a supply and use table framework that reconciles the supply of ocean-characteristic products with their use, enabling derivation of consistent estimates of ocean economy output, value added, and employment.

Structure of ocean economy thematic and extended accounts

1An ocean economy thematic account typically comprises the following components¹⁹:

2Production accounts by ocean industry — for each ocean-related industry, recording output, intermediate consumption, and gross value added. These accounts follow the structure of SNA production accounts but provide detail for ocean-specific industries that may be aggregated in standard national accounts.

3Supply table for ocean-characteristic products — recording the supply of ocean-characteristic products by producing industry (ocean and non-ocean industries), imports, and adjustments for taxes less subsidies and trade margins.

4Use table for ocean-characteristic products — recording the use of ocean-characteristic products as intermediate consumption by industry, final consumption by households and government, gross fixed capital formation, and exports.

5Employment accounts — recording the number of persons employed, jobs, hours worked, and full-time equivalent employment in ocean industries, potentially disaggregated by occupation, status in employment, and demographic characteristics. See International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 Chapter 7 for methodological guidance on employment measurement in sector thematic accounts²⁰.

6Gross fixed capital formation — recording investment in ocean-related produced assets, including vessels, port infrastructure, aquaculture facilities, and offshore platforms.

7Connection to wider accounts — documenting the relationship between ocean economy aggregates and national totals, including the ocean economy’s share of GDP, employment, and exports.

8The Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) identifies government expenditure on ocean-related functions, such as environmental protection of marine areas, fisheries management, and maritime safety. This expenditure data complements the production-focused thematic accounts described above. Linking COFOG-classified government expenditure with ocean economy production accounts supports analysis of public spending in relation to ocean economic activity. Detailed guidance on integrating government fiscal data with ocean accounts is provided in TG-1.1 Budget Processes.

Ocean economy indicators

1From the thematic accounts, a set of indicators can be derived. Table 3.3.1 below summarises the headline measures.

Indicator	Definition
Ocean economy GVA	The sum of gross value added across all ocean industries, representing the ocean economy’s direct contribution to GDP.
Ocean economy employment	Total persons employed or full-time equivalent positions in ocean industries.
Ocean economy share of GDP	Ocean economy GVA as a percentage of national GDP.
Ocean economy share of employment	Ocean employment as a percentage of total national employment.
Ocean economy exports	The value of ocean-characteristic products exported.
Ocean economy investment	Gross fixed capital formation in ocean industries.

2The derivation and interpretation of these indicators is addressed in detail in TG-2.5 Ocean Economy Structure.

3.4 Industry Classifications

1The identification and classification of ocean-related industries underpins the compilation of ocean economy accounts. The International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) provides the internationally agreed framework for classifying economic activities by industry²¹. ISIC Revision 4 remains the current international standard widely implemented in national statistics, although ISIC Revision 5 was endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2024 with implementation expected from 2027.

2ISIC Rev.5 was endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2024, but full implementation in national statistical systems typically requires several years of preparatory work including development of national adaptations, correspondence tables, and back-casting of historical series. Compilers should ascertain which version of ISIC (or its national adaptation) is currently in use in their country’s business register and economic surveys, and use the relevant correspondence tables when mapping between ISIC versions²².

Core ocean industries

1The following ISIC Rev.4 categories represent the core ocean-dependent industries²³:

2Division 03 — Fishing and Aquaculture

• 3Class 0311 Marine fishing — fishing on a commercial basis in ocean and coastal waters, including taking of marine crustaceans, molluscs, and other marine organisms
• 4Class 0312 Freshwater fishing — included when freshwater systems connect to marine environments or support anadromous species
• 5Class 0321 Marine aquaculture — farming of marine fish, crustaceans, molluscs, seaweed, and other aquatic organisms in marine or brackish waters
• 6Class 0322 Freshwater aquaculture — may be relevant for integrated coastal aquaculture systems

7Division 50 — Water Transport

• 8Group 501 Sea and coastal water transport
  • 9Class 5011 Sea and coastal passenger water transport — including ferries, cruise ships, and excursion boats
  • 10Class 5012 Sea and coastal freight water transport — including container shipping, tankers, and bulk carriers
• 11Group 502 Inland water transport — relevant where inland waterways connect to marine transport systems

12Division 06 — Extraction of Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas

• 13Class 0610 Extraction of crude petroleum — includes offshore oil extraction
• 14Class 0620 Extraction of natural gas — includes offshore gas extraction
• 15Class 0910 Support activities for petroleum and natural gas extraction — includes offshore support services

16Division 35 — Electricity, Gas, Steam and Air Conditioning Supply (partial)

• 17Class 3510 Electric power generation, transmission and distribution — includes offshore wind, tidal, and wave energy generation (requires disaggregation from land-based generation)

18Specific guidance on offshore energy accounting is provided in TG-3.10 Offshore Energy.

Ocean-related industries

1Additional industries are partially ocean-related and require estimation of their ocean-related share²⁴:

2Manufacturing

• 3Class 1020 Processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs
• 4Class 3011 Building of ships and floating structures
• 5Class 3012 Building of pleasure and sporting boats
• 6Class 3315 Repair of transport equipment (partial — for ship repair)

7Transportation and storage

• 8Class 5222 Service activities incidental to water transportation — including port and harbour operations, navigation, pilotage, and lighterage
• 9Class 5224 Cargo handling (partial — for port cargo handling)
• 10Class 5229 Other transportation support activities (partial — for marine support services)

11Accommodation and food service activities

• 12Class 5510 Short-term accommodation activities (partial — coastal tourism accommodation)
• 13Class 5520 Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks (partial — coastal facilities)

14Professional, scientific and technical activities

• 15Class 7110 Architectural and engineering activities (partial — marine engineering)
• 16Class 7210 Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering (partial — marine research)

17Public administration

• 18Class 8423 Public order and safety activities (partial — coast guard, maritime enforcement)
• 19Class 8421 Foreign affairs (partial — maritime boundary administration)

20Education

• 21Class 8530 Higher education (partial — maritime education and training)

22Arts, entertainment and recreation

• 23Class 9319 Other sports activities (partial — marine recreation including sport fishing)

Determining ocean-related shares

1For industries that are only partially ocean-related, the ocean economy share must be estimated. This share is directly analogous to the ‘tourism ratio’ described in the SF-MST (paras 4.50—4.53), which estimates the share of an industry’s output attributable to tourism demand²⁵. Methods include²⁶:

1. 2

   Direct identification — where establishment-level data allow identification of ocean-related establishments within an industry (e.g., coastal hotels with marine facilities)

2. 3

   Survey-based estimation — where sample surveys collect data on the ocean-related share of output or employment for establishments in mixed industries

3. 4

   Modelled estimation — where proxy indicators are used to estimate ocean-related shares (e.g., using coastal tourism visitor data to estimate accommodation industry shares)

4. 5

   Administrative data — where licensing or registration systems identify ocean-related activities (e.g., registered fishing vessels, port authority records). Multi-agency data compilation has been demonstrated in practice: Canada’s compilation of marine economy accounts draws on data from multiple federal agencies, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, and Statistics Canada, covering fisheries, offshore energy, marine transportation, and port construction.

6The approach for tourism follows the Tourism Satellite Account methodology, where the ‘tourism ratio’ concept can be adapted to estimate the share of tourism industries attributable to coastal and marine tourism²⁷. Detailed guidance on survey methods is provided in TG-4.2 Survey Methods for Ocean Economic Activity, and on administrative data sources in TG-4.3 Administrative Data Sources.

3.5 Supply and Use Tables

1Supply and use tables (SUTs) provide the integrating framework for ocean economy accounts. SUTs record the supply of products (from domestic production and imports) and their use (as intermediate consumption, final consumption, capital formation, or exports), so that total supply equals total use for each product²⁸. The SNA 2025 Chapter 15 sets out the structure, compilation, and balancing of supply and use tables in detail.

Structure of ocean economy SUTs

1An ocean economy supply table records, for each ocean-characteristic product:

• 2Output by ocean industries
• 3Output by non-ocean industries (where applicable)
• 4Imports of the product
• 5Trade and transport margins
• 6Taxes less subsidies on products
• 7Total supply at purchasers’ prices

8An ocean economy use table records, for each ocean-characteristic product:

• 9Intermediate consumption by ocean industries
• 10Intermediate consumption by non-ocean industries
• 11Final consumption expenditure by households
• 12Final consumption expenditure by government
• 13Gross fixed capital formation
• 14Changes in inventories
• 15Exports
• 16Total use at purchasers’ prices

Compilation procedure for ocean economy SUTs

1The compilation process follows SNA 2025 Chapter 15 guidance and adapts the tourism measurement approach from the SF-MST²⁹. The following steps provide a systematic procedure:

2Step 1: Identify ocean economy industries via ISIC concordance

3Using the industry categorisation in Section 3.4 above and the ISIC-ocean economy concordance in Table 2 below, identify all ISIC Rev.4 classes that constitute the ocean economy in the compiling country. For each class, determine whether it is wholly ocean-dependent (ocean ratio = 1.0) or partially ocean-related (ocean ratio < 1.0). This classification corresponds to the identification of ‘tourism characteristic activities’ in the SF-MST framework³⁰.

4Step 2: Identify ocean-characteristic products via CPC concordance

5Determine which products are wholly or partially ocean-characteristic, using the Central Product Classification (CPC) aligned with ISIC industry classifications. Ocean-characteristic products include:

• 6Fish and fishery products — Live fish and other fishing products (CPC Division 04); Processed and preserved fish products (CPC Group 212)
• 7Marine transport services — Sea and coastal water transport services (CPC Divisions 65—67); Port services, pilotage, and lighterage
• 8Offshore extraction products — Crude petroleum from offshore sources; Natural gas from offshore sources; Offshore mineral products
• 9Marine tourism and recreation services — Coastal accommodation services (partial); Marine recreational services

10Step 3: Extract ocean economy sub-matrices from national SUTs

11From the balanced national supply and use tables, extract the columns corresponding to identified ocean economy industries and the rows corresponding to ocean-characteristic products. This creates ocean economy supply and use tables that are subsets of the national tables (SNA 2025 Chapter 15, para 15.9). If the national SUTs are published at a level of aggregation above individual ISIC classes, compilers may need to use supplementary data sources—business surveys (TG-4.2) and administrative records (TG-4.3)—to disaggregate the relevant columns and rows.

12Step 4: Determine ocean economy ratios

13For partially ocean-related industries, estimate the share of output directly attributable to ocean-related activity. This is analogous to the tourism ratio described in SF-MST Chapter 3: the total output of ocean-characteristic products by an industry divided by its total output³¹. For example, if 40 per cent of short-term accommodation output in a coastal region serves marine tourism demand, the ocean economy ratio for that industry is 0.40. Methods for estimating these ratios include analysis of establishment-level survey data, use of tourism statistics for coastal areas, and expert judgement informed by administrative records.

14Step 5: Balance the ocean economy SUT

15Reconcile supply and use for each ocean-characteristic product, resolving discrepancies through quality assessment and adjustment. The balancing process improves the consistency and reliability of the accounts. SNA 2025 Chapter 15 (paras 15.130—15.139) provides detailed guidance on balancing procedures, including use of commodity flow methods, confrontation of supply and demand estimates, and iterative adjustment.

16Step 6: Derive GVA, employment, trade aggregates

17From balanced ocean economy SUTs, derive gross value added by industry (output less intermediate consumption), total ocean economy GVA, ocean economy employment, ocean economy exports, and ocean economy GFCF. These aggregates provide the foundation for the structural indicators described in TG-2.5 Ocean Economy Structure.

Ocean economy supply-use table template

1Table 1 provides a template for the ocean economy supply-use table in monetary terms. The supply table records the output of ocean-related products by ocean industries, whilst the use table records the intermediate consumption, final demand, and value added for each industry. This template follows the structure established in SNA 2025 Chapter 38 for thematic and extended accounts³².

2Table 1: Ocean Economy Supply-Use Table Template (Basic Prices, currency units)

3SUPPLY TABLE

Product	Marine Fishing	Aquaculture	Shipping	Ports	Tourism	Other Ocean	Non-Ocean	Imports	Total Supply
Fish products
Transport services
Tourism services
Port services
Energy products
Other products
Total output

4USE TABLE

Product	Marine Fishing	Aquaculture	Shipping	Ports	Tourism	Other Ocean	Non-Ocean	Households	Govt	GFCF	Exports	Total Use
Fish products
Transport services
Tourism services
Port services
Energy products
Other products
Total intermediate
GVA
Total output

5The supply-use identity requires that Total Supply = Total Use for each product. GVA for each industry provides the primary measure of the ocean economy’s contribution to GDP.

ISIC-ocean economy concordance

1Table 2 maps ISIC Rev.4 industry codes to ocean economy activities, identifying the relationship type and recommended estimation approach. This concordance supports the identification and measurement of ocean industries within existing national statistical frameworks³³.

ISIC Rev.4	Description	Ocean Relationship	Estimation Method
0311	Marine fishing	Ocean-dependent (100%)	Direct
0321	Marine aquaculture	Ocean-dependent (100%)	Direct
5011	Sea passenger transport	Ocean-dependent (100%)	Direct
5012	Sea freight transport	Ocean-dependent (100%)	Direct
0610	Crude petroleum extraction	Partial (offshore share)	Administrative data
3510	Electric power generation, transmission and distribution	Partial (offshore wind/tidal)	Administrative data
1020	Fish processing	Ocean-related	Direct
3011	Ship building	Ocean-related	Direct
5222	Water transport support	Ocean-related	Direct
5510	Accommodation	Partial (coastal tourism)	Tourism surveys
9319	Sports activities	Partial (marine recreation)	Tourism surveys

2For ‘ocean-dependent’ industries (100% attributable), the full output of the ISIC class is included. For ‘partial’ industries, the ocean share must be estimated using supplementary data such as administrative records or surveys. For ‘ocean-related’ industries, professional judgement and data analysis determine inclusion.

3.6 Worked Example: Ocean Economy SUT for Country A

1To illustrate the compilation procedure, this section presents a worked example for a hypothetical medium-income coastal state (‘Country A’) with a total GDP of approximately USD 50 billion, total employment of 10 million persons, and an ocean economy representing 3.5 per cent of GDP. All monetary values are expressed in millions of US dollars. The example demonstrates how the ocean economy SUT template (Table 1) is populated with synthetic data consistent with the structural indicators presented in TG-2.5 Ocean Economy Structure Section 3.2 (Table 3.1).

Compilation context

1Country A has:

• 2A diversified ocean economy dominated by coastal tourism (32% of ocean GVA) and offshore oil and gas (24%)
• 3Maritime transport and port operations contributing 18% of ocean GVA
• 4A traditional marine living resources sector (fishing, aquaculture, fish processing) contributing 10%
• 5Emerging marine renewable energy sector (offshore wind) contributing 4%
• 6Shipbuilding and ‘other ocean industries’ (marine research, maritime education, coast guard) making up the remainder

7The compilation follows the six-step procedure in Section 3.5, extracting ocean industry columns from national SUTs and applying ocean economy ratios to partially ocean-related industries.

Simplified ocean economy supply table (Country A)

1Table 3 presents a simplified supply table for seven ocean-characteristic product groups and seven ocean industry groups. The table records domestic production by industry (columns 2—8), imports (column 9), and total supply (column 10).

2Table 3: Ocean Economy Supply Table, Country A (million USD, basic prices)

Product	Fishing/Aqua	Fish Processing	Shipping/Ports	Offshore Energy	Shipbuilding	Tourism	Other	Imports	Total Supply
Fish products	180	135	—	—	—	—	—	35	350
Processed fish	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	5
Transport services	—	—	565	—	—	—	—	55	620
Port services	—	—	65	—	—	—	—	—	65
Energy products	—	—	—	840	—	—	—	93	933
Ships/vessels	—	—	—	—	280	—	—	28	308
Tourism services	—	—	—	—	—	875	—	58	933
Other ocean products	15	10	—	—	28	58	174	60	345
Total output	195	145	630	840	308	933	174	334	Total supply: 3,559

3The industry column totals show gross output for each ocean industry. The rightmost figure (3,559) represents total supply (domestic output of 3,225 plus imports of 334), which must equal total use for each product in the balanced SUT.

Simplified ocean economy use table (Country A)

1Table 4 presents the use table showing intermediate consumption by industry (columns 2—8), final demand categories (columns 9—12), and total use (column 13). The bottom rows show total intermediate consumption, GVA, and total output (which must equal the output row from the Supply Table).

2Table 4: Ocean Economy Use Table, Country A (million USD, basic prices)

Product	Fishing/Aqua	Fish Processing	Shipping/Ports	Offshore Energy	Shipbuilding	Tourism	Other	Households	Govt	GFCF	Exports	Total Use
Fish products	5	120	—	—	—	5	—	100	—	—	120	350
Processed fish	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	—	—	—	5
Transport services	5	5	50	20	10	30	5	50	5	—	440	620
Port services	—	—	3	2	5	—	—	5	—	—	50	65
Energy products	2	3	100	84	20	80	14	300	30	—	300	933
Ships/vessels	—	—	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	95	210	308
Tourism services	—	—	5	—	—	47	5	820	6	—	50	933
Other ocean	8	7	157	314	147	211	63	65	46	285	42	1,345
Total intermed.	20	135	315	420	185	373	87	—	—	—	—	1,535
GVA	175	10	315	420	123	560	87	—	—	—	—	1,690
Total output	195	145	630	840	308	933	174
Total final demand								1,345	87	380	1,212

3Note: The industry Total Output row (USD 3,225M = sum of industry columns) must equal the corresponding industry output totals from the Supply Table. Total intermediate consumption across industries is USD 1,535M, and GVA is USD 1,690M (= 3,225 - 1,535). The final demand columns show totals by demand category. In a fully balanced SUT, total supply (domestic output + imports) would equal total use (intermediate consumption + final demand) for each product.

Key aggregates derived from the SUT

1From Tables 3 and 4, the following ocean economy aggregates are derived. Table 3.6.1 below summarises the key aggregates.

Aggregate	Value and source
Ocean economy GVA	USD 1,690M (sum of GVA row in Table 4). The fuller compilation in TG-2.5 (USD 1,750M) includes additional minor ocean industries not shown in this simplified SUT.
Ocean economy output	USD 3,225M (sum of Total Output row for industries in Table 3).
Ocean economy exports	USD 1,212M (sum of Exports column in Table 4).
Ocean economy GFCF	USD 380M (sum of GFCF column in Table 4).
Ocean economy imports	USD 334M (sum of Imports column in Table 3).

2These aggregates feed directly into the structural indicators in TG-2.5 Ocean Economy Structure, including ocean economy share of GDP (1,750/50,000 = 3.5%), ocean economy share of exports (620/12,000 = 5.2% in TG-2.5 Table 3.1a), and ocean economy investment rate (380/1,750 = 21.7%).

Cross-stack linkages

1The ocean economy SUT compiled in this example provides the ‘data foundation’ for multiple downstream applications across the Ocean Accounts Technical Guidance series:

• 2Upward to indicators: The GVA, employment, and trade aggregates derived from the SUT populate the structural indicators in TG-2.5 Tables 3.1, 3.1a, 3.1b, and 3.3.
• 3Upward to budget processes: The four-row budget presentation format in TG-1.1 Section 3.3 draws GDP contribution, employment, and export values directly from the SUT aggregates.
• 4Upward to investment analysis: The GFCF column in the Use Table (Table 4) provides the industry-level investment data required for the investment indicators in TG-2.6.
• 5Downward to data sources: The product and industry detail required to populate the SUT draws on survey data (TG-4.2) and administrative records (TG-4.3), harmonised through the procedures in TG-4.6.
• 6Lateral to flows accounting: The production data by ocean industry (output and intermediate consumption) feed into the economy-to-environment flow accounts in TG-3.4, enabling estimation of marine pollution, resource extraction, and other pressures.
• 7Lateral to combined presentations: The aggregates derived from the ocean economy SUT are integrated with ecosystem accounts in the combined presentation structures described in TG-3.8.

3.7 Treatment of Coastal Tourism

1Coastal tourism presents particular challenges for supply and use table compilation because tourism is defined from the demand side (activities of visitors) rather than the supply side (industrial classification)³⁴. The Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST) provides guidance on integrating tourism statistics with economic and environmental accounts³⁵.

2For ocean economy accounts, the recommended approach is set out in Table 3.7.1 below.

Step	Description
1. Identify coastal tourism destinations	Delineate coastal areas where tourism activity is concentrated.
2. Estimate coastal tourism expenditure	Using visitor surveys or tourism satellite account data, estimate tourism expenditure in coastal destinations.
3. Allocate expenditure to products	Classify tourism expenditure by product category (accommodation, food, transport, recreation).
4. Estimate ocean-related shares	Within coastal tourism expenditure, estimate the share directly attributable to marine activities (such as marine recreation, diving, fishing charters) versus general tourism services.
5. Integrate with SUTs	Incorporate coastal tourism product flows into the supply and use table framework, ensuring consistency with TSA methodology where available.

3The SF-MST provides specific guidance on measuring tourism at sub-national levels, including destination-level measurement approaches that are directly applicable to coastal and marine tourism areas³⁶.

3.8 Integration with National SUTs

1Ocean economy SUTs should be compiled as a disaggregation of national SUTs, ensuring that:

• 2Ocean industry output and intermediate consumption aggregate to values consistent with national accounts
• 3Ocean product supplies and uses aggregate to values consistent with national commodity flow accounts
• 4Ocean economy GVA sums to a component of national GDP

5This integration ensures that ocean economy statistics are consistent with and comparable to national economic statistics, and enables analysis of the ocean economy’s share of national aggregates.

3.9 Extended Applications: Input-Output Analysis

1Balanced supply and use tables provide the foundation for constructing symmetric input-output tables (IOTs) that enable extended analytical applications³⁷. Input-output analysis allows estimation of:

• 2Multiplier effects — the total economic impact of ocean industries, including direct, indirect, and induced effects throughout the economy
• 3Backward and forward linkages — the degree to which ocean industries are integrated with other sectors of the economy
• 4Embodied resource flows — the natural inputs (including marine resources) embodied in production throughout supply chains

5These extended analyses support policy assessment and are relevant to the derivation of economic dependency indicators described in TG-2.2 Macro-level Dependencies.

Implementation Considerations

1For minimum institutional capacity, data infrastructure, and human skills requirements for compiling these accounts, see TG-0.8 Implementation Readiness Assessment. For guidance on adapting these methods to sub-national scales, see TG-3.11 Sub-National Ocean Accounts.

4. Acknowledgements

1This Circular has been approved for public circulation and comment by the GOAP Technical Experts Group in accordance with the Circular Publication Procedure.

2Authors: [To be confirmed]

3Reviewers: [To be confirmed]

5. References

Footnotes

1. 1

   World Bank (2017). The Sunken Billions Revisited: Progress and Challenges in Global Marine Fisheries. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. For SIDS economic dependencies, see also UNCTAD (2020). The Oceans Economy: Opportunities and Challenges for Small Island Developing States. Geneva: UNCTAD. ↩

2. 2

   United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025. New York: United Nations. ST/ESA/STAT/SER.F/2/Rev.6. Chapter 38 on Thematic and extended accounts (formerly Chapter 29 on Satellite accounts and other extensions). ↩

3. 3

   United Nations (2024). System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting. Statistical Papers Series F No. 124. New York: United Nations. Chapter 13, Section 13.5 on Accounting for the ocean. ↩

4. 4

   World Tourism Organization (2024). Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST). Final Draft, February 2024. Chapter 3 on Measuring the economic dimension. ↩

5. 5

   OECD (2016). The Ocean Economy in 2030. Paris: OECD Publishing. The OECD definition encompasses “ocean-based industries” and “natural assets and ecosystem services that the ocean provides.” ↩

6. 6

   United Nations (2024). SEEA Ecosystem Accounting, para 13.88. The ocean economy is measured “in terms of the contribution of the main ocean-related activities…to the national economy.” ↩

7. 7

   World Tourism Organization (2024). SF-MST, paras 2.31—2.35 set out a qualitative significance criterion for identifying tourism characteristic activities (“a significant share” of expenditure or supply) but do not specify a numeric threshold; SF-MST expressly treats the setting of such thresholds as outside the statistical task (para 2.5). The 5 per cent figure is therefore a pragmatic materiality threshold adopted by this guidance to operationalise that significance principle for the ocean economy context, not a value drawn from SF-MST. ↩

8. 8

   This categorisation draws on OECD (2016). The Ocean Economy in 2030. Paris: OECD Publishing. Categories 5—7 extend the direct activity boundary to incorporate ecosystem values and macroeconomic linkages. ↩

9. 9

   United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025, Chapter 38, para 38.2. See also para 38.6 on the distinction between thematic accounts (disaggregating within SNA boundaries) and extended accounts (expanding SNA boundaries). ↩

10. 10

    United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025, para 35.63 on ocean accounting applications, and para A1.135 on SEEA Ecosystem Accounting thematic accounts for oceans. ↩

11. 11

    United Nations (1982). United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Part V on Exclusive Economic Zone establishes coastal state rights to resources within 200 nautical miles. ↩

12. 12

    United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025, Annex 5, paras A5.30—A5.43 on Accounting for the economic activities of non-resident units making use of quota established for fishing in a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. ↩

13. 13

    United Nations (2023). Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). Entered into force 17 January 2026. ↩

14. 14

    United Nations (2024). SEEA Ecosystem Accounting, para 2.24. Ecosystem services are “the contributions of ecosystems to the benefits that are used in economic and other human activity.” ↩

15. 15

    United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025, Chapter 38, para 38.2. The SNA 2025 uses the term “thematic and extended accounts” in place of the former “satellite accounts” terminology used in earlier editions. ↩

16. 16

    United Nations, UNWTO, Eurostat, and OECD (2010). Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework 2008. The TSA provides the methodological template for sector-specific thematic accounts. ↩

17. 17

    World Tourism Organization (2024). SF-MST, paras 2.33—2.35 on tourism characteristic products and tourism characteristic activities. The framework defines tourism characteristic products as “consumption products that satisfy one or both of the following criteria: (i) tourism expenditure on the product should represent a significant share of total tourism expenditure; (ii) tourism expenditure on the product should represent a significant share of the supply of the product in the economy” (para 2.33). ↩

18. 18

    United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025, Chapter 38, paras 38.6—38.14 describe the principles of thematic and extended accounts. ↩

19. 19

    This structure adapts the TSA framework (TSA:RMF 2008) to ocean economy measurement. See also NOEA (National Ocean Economics Program) methodology used in the United States. ↩

20. 20

    UNWTO and UNSD (2008). International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008. Chapter 7 provides detailed guidance on employment measurement in tourism industries, applicable by extension to ocean economy employment accounts. ↩

21. 21

    United Nations (2008). International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), Revision 4. Statistical Papers Series M No. 4/Rev.4. New York: United Nations. ↩

22. 22

    United Nations (2024). ISIC Rev.5 - Rev.4 Correspondence Tables. UNSD Classifications Registry. Compilers should consult the latest correspondence tables available from the UN Statistics Division. ↩

23. 23

    ISIC Rev.4 detailed structure and explanatory notes. Division 03 (Fishing and aquaculture) and Division 50 (Water transport) represent core ocean industries. ↩

24. 24

    The identification of ocean-related industries follows approaches used in the EU Blue Economy Report (European Commission, annual) and US National Ocean Economics Program. ↩

25. 25

    World Tourism Organization (2024). SF-MST, paras 4.50—4.53 on tourism ratios. The tourism ratio is “the total output of tourism characteristic products by an industry divided by its total output” (para 4.50). ↩

26. 26

    Methods for estimating industry shares follow general SNA guidance on compiling thematic and extended accounts (SNA 2025 Chapter 38) and specific guidance in TSA:RMF 2008. ↩

27. 27

    UNWTO (2010). Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework 2008, paras 4.50—4.53 on tourism ratios. ↩

28. 28

    United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025, Chapter 15 describes supply and use tables in detail. Para 15.9 introduces the basic structure: “Supply tables show how products are made available to the economy, from domestic industries and through imports. Use tables show how these products are consumed, as intermediate consumption by industries or as final consumption, capital formation or exports.” ↩

29. 29

    World Tourism Organization (2024). SF-MST, Chapter 3 on Measuring the economic dimension, particularly Section 3.3 on Measuring the economic structure and performance of tourism industries. ↩

30. 30

    World Tourism Organization (2024). SF-MST, para 2.31 on tourism characteristic activities. ↩

31. 31

    World Tourism Organization (2024). SF-MST, para 3.28 on the tourism ratio. ↩

32. 32

    United Nations et al. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025, Chapter 38, paras 38.20—38.30 on the use of supply and use tables in thematic and extended accounts. The template adapts the general SUT framework to ocean economy measurement. ↩

33. 33

    Based on ISIC Rev.4 detailed structure (United Nations, 2008) and ocean economy industry identification approaches used in OECD (2016) and the EU Blue Economy Report (European Commission, annual). ↩

34. 34

    UNWTO and UNSD (2008). International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008. Tourism is defined from the visitor (demand) perspective. ↩

35. 35

    UNWTO (2024). Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST). Final Draft, February 2024. Chapters 2—3 address economic dimension measurement. ↩

36. 36

    UNWTO (2024). SF-MST, Section 2.5 on Measuring the sustainability of tourism at sub-national levels, and Section 3.7 on Measuring the economic dimension for sub-national spatial areas. ↩

37. 37

    Eurostat (2008). Eurostat Manual of Supply, Use and Input-Output Tables. Chapter 11 addresses transformation of SUTs to symmetric input-output tables. ↩