The latest Seafarers Happiness Index (SHI) from the Mission to Seafarers shows a modest improvement in wellbeing at the end of a volatile year. The overall happiness score rose to 7.26 out of 10 in Q4 2025, up from 7.05 in the previous quarter.
While the increase this quarter suggests a degree of stabilisation following a sharp downturn in Q3, the findings reveal that seafarers face mounting pressures and fears related to geopolitics – particularly sanctions and evolving legal landscapes. The fear of unwitting complicity in crimes they cannot see or control has become a concern and a heavy burden.
Respondents also highlighted rising workloads, with some seafarers working beyond 84 hours a week, compounded by rest hour regulations negligence. Limited shore leave also remains a concern. Operational intensity remains a key pressure; many seafarers report increasing demands from officers, driven by reduced crew numbers and expanding administrative requirement.
Improvements were seen in areas such as general happiness, with seafarers expressing satisfaction with their work, colleagues and professional identity. Wages and workload management also saw an improvement, but none returned to the stronger levels recorded earlier in the year. Ben Bailey, director of programme, the Mission to Seafarers, said that “while the latest Seafarers Happiness Index shows a welcome uptick in overall wellbeing, it should not be mistaken for a return to normality”.
