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Maritime transport

Data insights

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

Higher shipping connectivity in most economies in first quarter of 2024

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 Q1 2023 to Q1 2024.

 a Change of less than 5 per cent, year-on-year.

See metadata.

Liner shipping connectivity increased in more economies than it decreased in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) increased by a median of 1.7 per cent. Some economies with an LSCI calculated based on a single port, such as Liberia (+55 per cent) and Saint Kitts and Nevis (-47 per cent), saw major changes in connectivity. Among economies with five or more ports in the calculation, the Russian Federation, Nigeria, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Algeria and Peru all saw double digit annual growth rates. In Indonesia, shipping connectivity decreased by 9 per cent which parallels a reversal of a peak in the port liner shipping capacity index for Jakarta in the beginning of 2023.

Data updated on 12 Sep 2024

China still clearly the economy most integrated into global liner shipping networks

Liner shipping connectivity index, top five economies (average country connectivity in Q1 2023=100)

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 per cent above the (theoretical) average economy in the first quarter of 2023.

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A total of 54 ports contributed to China’s strong index performance in the third quarter of 2024. China has been the most connected economy since the inception of the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index with Shanghai and Ningbo among the world’s best-connected ports. China’s liner shipping connectivity surged by 38 per cent over the last ten years, the fastest growth rate among the top five economies. The second most connected economy, the Republic of Korea, has increased its connectivity by 27 per cent over the last ten years.

Data updated on 12 Sep 2024

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.

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