Maritime and other transport

Data insights

International freight transport is the lifeblood of global trade, facilitating the movement of goods over land and across oceans and connecting economies worldwide. As the most cost-effective and efficient mode of transport for large-scale cargo, maritime transport plays a pivotal role in sustaining global commerce. This collection of thematic insights explores key aspects of international freight transport, providing a detailed look at its vital components.

Ukraine, Bahrain, and Cameroon saw the largest annual connectivity increases in Q3 2025

Annual change in liner shipping connectivity, percentage

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and MDS Transmodal.

Change year-on-year in the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025.

 

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Liner shipping connectivity improved in more economies than it declined in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Ukraine recorded the highest growth globally, with an increase of 118.7%. Other major increases were observed in Bahrain with +60.3%, Cameroon with +51.3%, Namibia with +46.0%, and Sierra Leone with +38.6%.
The sharpest decreases were recorded in Bahamas (-22.4%), Bonaire/Sint Eustatius/Saba (-20.0%), and New Zealand (-18.5%).

Data updated on 30 Sep 2025

Global shipping networks rely on strong regional anchors

Top maritime connectivity performer by region (Liner shipping connectivity index, Q3 2025)

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and MDS Transmodal.

The reference is the average economy in the first quarter of 2023. No economy has this value; 100 is the value for a theoretical economy having the average value on each index component. A value 130 for the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index thus means 30% above the (theoretical) average economy in the first quarter of 2023.

Liner shipping connectivity index (LSCI) measures how well a country is connected to global container shipping networks.

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  • China remains the top maritime connectivity performer in Asia, with its major ports anchoring global shipping networks. Seven Asian economies feature among the top 15 globally—Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Viet Nam, Japan, India, and Hong Kong SAR (China)—highlighting the region’s central role in global liner shipping networks.
  • The United States leads in Northern America, supported by its broad port infrastructure and service coverage.
  • Spain tops the European rankings, benefiting from strong connections within the region and beyond.
  • Egypt is Africa’s most connected country, with key ports on the Mediterranean and Red Sea routes.
  • Panama leads in Latin America and the Caribbean, leveraging its strategic canal position for global trade flows.
Data updated on 30 Sep 2025

Monthly liner shipping connectivity index (LSCI) shows large differences among top economies

Monthly evolution of the top 5 economies with the highest LSCI in September 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) measures how well a country is connected to global container shipping networks.

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Top-performer countries further enhanced their liner shipping connectivity during the last twelve months from September 2024 to September 2025. China maintained robust growth, while the Republic of Korea experienced moderate fluctuations from September 2024 to September 2025 and Singapore showed steady upward momentum over the period. Malaysia recorded consistent gains in liner shipping connectivity, reaching a high in September 2025. The United States posted gradual improvement over the perioud till September 2025.

Data updated on 29 Sep 2025

Metadata

The liner shipping connectivity index (LSCI) indicates an economy’s position within global liner shipping networks. It is calculated from the number of ship calls, the container handling capacity of ports, the number of services and companies, the size of the largest ship, and the number of countries connected through direct liner shipping services. Full metadata are available in our Data Centre for LSCI, as well as this blogpost detailing the index’s update.

UNCTAD also publishes the Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (PLSCI) which measures connectivity and reflects the level of integration into the global liner shipping network on a port-by-port basis. The data and metadata can be accessed in our Data Centre. 

For in-depth analysis on port performance and related topics see the Review of Maritime Transport.

Full metadata are available in our Data Centre for:

Liner shipping connectivity index, quarterly (analytical)

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