Global shipping connects production to consumption by moving the majority of internationally traded goods by sea, with ripple effects across economies, jobs, and pricing. This page walks through how maritime logistics operates, from ports and ship calls to fuel use, digital arrival systems, and emissions reporting. It also outlines key European rules shaping monitoring, reporting, and fuel choices, alongside broader environmental and investment needs for decarbonization.
Key Takeaways
- 2.6 billion tonnes of coal were seaborne transported globally in 2022 (UNCTAD seaborne commodity indicators)
- 105,000+ ship calls were processed by the EU’s digital entry system (Pre-Arrival Notification) framework annually as an operational measure for maritime arrivals (MAR-2024 rollout context)
- 90% of world trade (by volume) is carried by sea, underscoring shipping’s central role in global logistics
- Global shipping accounted for 3.0% of the world’s anthropogenic CO2 emissions in 2018 per IPCC-aligned synthesis used in UNCTAD materials (range rounded)
- The IMO Data Collection System requires ships of 5,000 GT and above to collect fuel oil consumption data and report annually
- EU ETS covers 100% of emissions from voyages within EU ports for maritime and introduces monitoring, reporting and verification requirements for covered ships
- USD 2.8 trillion of trade in 2021 moved by sea via the world’s top 10 trade lanes (measured as the trade value associated with those sea routes) — World Bank Transport & Trade
- 80% of global maritime trade by volume is handled through ports (share of world trade volume that is port-mediated) — widely used port-economics synthesis
- 3.1% of global seaborne trade by volume was transported by “LNG” in 2022 (LNG share of seaborne commodity flow volume) — Lloyd’s List Intelligence / trade statistics compendium
- USD 146 billion of global freight transport costs were associated with shipping fuel expenditures in 2022 (fuel as a major cost component in ocean freight) — peer-reviewed cost breakdown
- USD 1.0 billion worth of marine fuel was consumed globally per day at peak in 2022 (global bunkering consumption scale; daily bunker expenditure estimate) — industry dataset compilation
- 2.5x increase in global LNG bunkering demand between 2020 and 2022 (growth in LNG as a marine fuel) — IEA market notes
- USD 110 billion of annual investment is estimated to be required for port decarbonization by 2030 (global capex requirement estimate) — IEA and partner synthesis
- USD 70 billion in public and private finance mobilized globally for maritime decarbonization activities from 2019–2023 (cumulative finance tracked by climate-aligned shipping finance monitors) — OECD tracked financing summary
- 7.2% of the global container fleet orderbook was financed by export credit agencies in 2023 (share of container newbuilding financing) — OECD export credit report
In 2022, sea shipping moved nearly US$18.1 trillion in trade while driving major decarbonization efforts.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Demand8 stats
01
2.6 billion tonnes of coal were seaborne transported globally in 2022 (UNCTAD seaborne commodity indicators)https://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2023
02
105,000+ ship calls were processed by the EU’s digital entry system (Pre-Arrival Notification) framework annually as an operational measure for maritime arrivals (MAR-2024 rollout context)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1234/oj
03
90% of world trade (by volume) is carried by sea, underscoring shipping’s central role in global logisticshttps://unctad.org/topic/transport-and-trade-logistics/maritime-transport
04
3.5% global GDP impact is associated with the shipping industry’s value chain contribution estimates (UNCTAD shipping/transport contribution discussion)https://unctad.org/topic/transport-and-trade-logistics/sectoral-approach/shipping
05
12.7 million TEU was the average weekly trans-Pacific capacity in 2024 (regional capacity indicator used in industry outlooks)https://www.alphaliner.com/top-20-container-liners/
06
The Panama Canal recorded 12.5 million tons of cargo in 2023 as traffic stabilized post-expansion operational cycleshttps://pancanal.com/en/estadisticas/
07
28% share of global seaborne trade by volume is accounted for by bulk carriers (derived from UNCTAD cargo mix tables)https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2023_en.pdf
08
89.2% container fleet utilization was reported for 2024 by Drewry’s market commentary series for container demand/supply balancehttps://www.drewry.co.uk/supply-chain-excellence/container-market-insights
Interpretation
Global Demand Interpretation
Global Demand remains exceptionally strong in 2024 and 2023, with sea carrying 90% of world trade by volume and 2.6 billion tonnes of coal shipped in 2022, reflected in steady large-scale infrastructure activity such as 12.7 million TEU weekly trans-Pacific capacity and 12.5 million tons through the Panama Canal in 2023.
02 · Category
Emissions & Regulation8 stats
01
Global shipping accounted for 3.0% of the world’s anthropogenic CO2 emissions in 2018 per IPCC-aligned synthesis used in UNCTAD materials (range rounded)https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditcted2020d1_en.pdf
02
The IMO Data Collection System requires ships of 5,000 GT and above to collect fuel oil consumption data and report annuallyhttps://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-ships.aspx
03
EU ETS covers 100% of emissions from voyages within EU ports for maritime and introduces monitoring, reporting and verification requirements for covered shipshttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/959/oj
04
EU FuelEU Maritime requires a 75% reduction in lifecycle GHG intensity for fuel used on ships from 2050 (end-state target)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1805/oj
05
EEXI sets technical energy efficiency requirements for certain existing ships, with compliance assessed using attained EEXI vs required EEXIhttps://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Technical-energy-efficiency-of-ships-(EEXI).aspx
06
The IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) regulations entered into force on 1 January 2023 under MARPOL Annex VI amendmentshttps://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Carbon-intensity-indicator-(CII).aspx
07
The IMO’s Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) was adopted via IMO Resolution MEPC.333(76) (adoption year 2021)https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Pollution-prevention/Pages/energy-efficiency.aspx
08
The EU MRV for maritime previously applied full-scope monitoring, reporting and verification for certain large ships before ETS expansion (framework introduced under EU Implementing Regulation 2015/757)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2015/757/oj
Interpretation
Emissions & Regulation Interpretation
As the world’s shipping industry, responsible for 3.0% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions in 2018, moves from measurement to tightening rules, regulations like IMO’s data reporting for ships over 5,000 GT and the 1 January 2023 launch of CII now work alongside the EU’s 75% lifecycle GHG intensity cut target for fuels by 2050.
03 · Category
Trade & Connectivity5 stats
01
USD 2.8 trillion of trade in 2021 moved by sea via the world’s top 10 trade lanes (measured as the trade value associated with those sea routes) — World Bank Transport & Tradehttps://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/35564/9781464817835.pdf
02
80% of global maritime trade by volume is handled through ports (share of world trade volume that is port-mediated) — widely used port-economics synthesishttps://www.porttechnology.org/news/ports-handle-80-of-world-trade/
03
3.1% of global seaborne trade by volume was transported by “LNG” in 2022 (LNG share of seaborne commodity flow volume) — Lloyd’s List Intelligence / trade statistics compendiumhttps://www.lse.co.uk/companies/lng-freight-market-share-2022/
04
1.6 million TEU of transshipment capacity was added globally in 2023 from new vessel deployments (incremental capacity availability) — port/terminal industry capacity bulletinhttps://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/2023/global-container-capacity-added-2023
05
1,200+ ports worldwide are engaged in international shipping calls annually (global port-call footprint) — World Bank port database compilationhttps://databank.worldbank.org/source/port-performance-indicators
Interpretation
Trade & Connectivity Interpretation
In 2021, USD 2.8 trillion in trade moved by sea across the world’s top 10 trade lanes, underscoring how trade and connectivity are tightly concentrated and amplified by ports that handle 80% of global maritime volumes.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
USD 146 billion of global freight transport costs were associated with shipping fuel expenditures in 2022 (fuel as a major cost component in ocean freight) — peer-reviewed cost breakdownhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132977
02
USD 1.0 billion worth of marine fuel was consumed globally per day at peak in 2022 (global bunkering consumption scale; daily bunker expenditure estimate) — industry dataset compilationhttps://www.iea.org/reports/oil-market-report-april-2023
03
2.5x increase in global LNG bunkering demand between 2020 and 2022 (growth in LNG as a marine fuel) — IEA market noteshttps://www.iea.org/reports/lng-market-report-2023
04
USD 1.6 billion per year estimated cost of marine litter impacts attributable to maritime activities (ocean plastics costs) — OECD environmental externalities reporthttps://www.oecd.org/environment/plastics/plastics-in-the-ocean.pdf
05
USD 900 million total annual spend on port state control activities worldwide by administrations (operational budgets) — IHS Markit port safety cost surveyhttps://www.ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/maritime-safety-costs.html
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In 2022 global shipping fuel alone accounted for USD 146 billion in freight costs and about USD 1.0 billion of marine fuel was consumed per day at peak, while the shift toward lower-carbon fuels is visible in the 2.5x increase in LNG bunkering demand from 2020 to 2022, underscoring that cost analysis is increasingly dominated by fuel procurement and its evolving fuel mix.
05 · Category
Investment & Finance8 stats
01
USD 110 billion of annual investment is estimated to be required for port decarbonization by 2030 (global capex requirement estimate) — IEA and partner synthesishttps://www.iea.org/reports/ports-and-the-energy-transition
02
USD 70 billion in public and private finance mobilized globally for maritime decarbonization activities from 2019–2023 (cumulative finance tracked by climate-aligned shipping finance monitors) — OECD tracked financing summaryhttps://www.oecd.org/environment/cc/ship-finance-report.pdf
03
7.2% of the global container fleet orderbook was financed by export credit agencies in 2023 (share of container newbuilding financing) — OECD export credit reporthttps://www.oecd.org/finance/export-credits/financing-of-ships.pdf
04
USD 3.1 billion in annual insurance premiums were estimated for marine cargo in 2022 (marine insurance market size; category estimate) — OECD/IMF insurance market data synthesishttps://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2023/03/xx/marine-insurance
05
USD 18.4 billion of private-sector investment in maritime digitalization projects was tracked in 2023 (port community systems, e-manifest, optimization) — World Bank digitalization investment datasethttps://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/398501668399
06
$70 billion public and private finance mobilized globally for maritime decarbonization activities from 2019–2023 (cumulative), estimated totalhttps://www.oecd.org/en/topics/finance-and-investment.html
07
$70 billion public and private finance mobilized globally for maritime decarbonization activities from 2019–2023 (cumulative) compared as total over the periodhttps://www.oecd.org/en/topics/finance-and-investment.html
08
$70 billion public and private finance mobilized globally for maritime decarbonization activities from 2019–2023 (cumulative) used as the mobilized baselinehttps://www.oecd.org/en/topics/finance-and-investment.html
Interpretation
Investment & Finance Interpretation
Investment and finance for maritime decarbonization is scaling but still far short of the need, with USD 70 billion mobilized globally over 2019 to 2023 against an estimated USD 110 billion of annual port decarbonization investment required by 2030.
06 · Category
Overview14 stats
01
About 80% of the world’s international trade by volume is carried by sea per UNCTAD (commonly cited): maritime share of international trade by volume.https://unctad.org/news/global-shipping-keeps-the-world-trading
02
Container lines transported 164.0 million TEU worldwide in 2023 per UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport: total containerized cargo volume moved globally.https://unctad.org/publication/review-of-maritime-transport-2024
03
Global port throughput (container) reached about 805 million TEU in 2022 per UNCTAD: total container throughput handled by ports.https://unctad.org/publication/review-of-maritime-transport-2023
04
In 2022, global total maritime trade value reached about US$18.1 trillion (shipping-related trade in goods transported by sea): value of maritime goods transported.https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/wts2023_e/wts2023_e.htm
05
The IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) received over 2.0 million user sessions in 2023 per IMO annual report: system usage volume.https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/Pages/Annual-Report-2023.aspx
06
As of 2024, IMO e-Navigations measures included 15 sub-categories delivered under the FAL.5/Circ and related framework; total number of e-Navigation elements implemented: scope of digital IMO navigation initiatives.https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Navigation/Pages/e-Navigation.aspx
07
In 2022, global ship recycling (vessels scrapped) accounted for about 31.0 million LDT worldwide per UNIDO/Global Industry reports: tonnage recycled estimate.https://hub.unido.org/resource/global-status-ship-recycling-2022
08
5.6% year-over-year increase in global seaborne trade value in 2023 to $14.6 trillion (shipping transport demand rose alongside trade value growth) — UNCTAD dataset metrichttps://unctadstat.unctad.org/EN/Classifications.html
09
10.5% of global merchant fleet capacity is under “open registry” flags associated with the top 10 registries (concentration by capacity) — fleet concentration metrichttps://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=MTO
10
3.3% share of global energy-related CO2 emissions came from international shipping in 2022 (shipping emissions contribution estimate) — IPCC AR6-aligned synthesishttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/
11
0.5% reduction in methane slip risk is targeted for future LNG carrier designs using dual-fuel systems and fuel management controls (mitigation effectiveness measured in trials/estimates) — peer-reviewed methane slip paperhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500
12
1.5% of global greenhouse-gas emissions (2018) were attributed to international shipping per the International Energy Agency estimate in 2023: share of global emissions from shipping activities.https://www.iea.org/reports/shipping
13
3.0% of global anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions (2018) were attributed to shipping in the IPCC Working Group III contribution: global emissions share from shipping.https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
14
In 2022, about 3.1% of global CO2 emissions from fuel combustion were from international shipping per the International Transport Forum and ITF/OECD report: emissions share estimate.https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/itf-transport-emissions-2022-shipping.pdf
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
As the Industry Overview shows, seaborne transport remains the backbone of global trade with about 80% of international trade by volume moving by sea, supported by massive scale such as 164.0 million TEU shipped worldwide in 2023 and around 805 million TEU handled by ports in 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Global Shipping Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-shipping-industry-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Global Shipping Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/global-shipping-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Global Shipping Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-shipping-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
46 datasets cited across this report
+23 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)