Marine piracy on the rise in 2024

2024 was a year marked by an upsurge in marine piracy and banditry around the world. Data from the MICA Center (Marine Information Cooperation & Awareness Center) shows that 340 acts of marine piracy were recorded, which represents a 15% increase on the 295 incidents reported in 2023. This rise marks a halt to a three-year period of declining incidents.

The number of marine piracy acts has jumped by 114% in 2024, from 28 events in 2023 to 60 a year later. 70% of these acts are concentrated in the Indian Ocean, particularly off the coast of Somalia.

As for banditry, its rise has been slower, with 280 acts recorded in 2024, representing a 4.86% increase over one year. The regions most affected by this phenomenon are the Americas and the Caribbean archipelago (119), and Southeast Asia and the Pacific (97).