The output of China's marine economy will account for at least 13 percent of the country's GDP in 2020 from 9.6 percent now, driven by the country's surging interest in the sector, a report by a government think tank said on Monday.

The China Institute for Marine Affairs, the policy-consulting unit of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), said that China's marine economy will see fast growth over the next two decades, with the sector expected to be worth more than 10 trillion yuan ($1.61 trillion) and provide 56 million jobs in 2020.

In 2012, the country's GDP related to the marine sector increased 7.9 percent year-on-year to more than 5 trillion yuan, according to figures released by SOA