Seafarer happiness declines for third consecutive quarter

The Seafarers Happiness Index (SHI) for Q3 2026 shows a decline in overall seafarer happiness, with a score of 6.81/10 compared to 6.87 in Q2 and 7.26 at the end of 2025. The report, published by The Mission to Seafarers in collaboration with Inmarsat and Idwal, indicates that six of the ten measured areas have deteriorated.

While life aboard ships has seen improvements—specifically in crew camaraderie, which rose to 7.70—the ship-to-shore interface is failing. Key areas of decline include connectivity, shore leave, wages, and shore-side welfare. Shore leave remains the lowest-scoring metric, dropping to 5.46 due to shorter port stays, security restrictions, and minimum crewing levels.

Connectivity scores also fell from 7.46 to 6.89, driven by rising expectations regarding the affordability and reliability of internet access for maintaining family connections. Ben Bailey of The Mission to Seafarers warned that while strong onboard relationships are a positive, they should not serve as a substitute for the industry addressing systemic failures in shore-side support.