The world merchant fleet
Today, sea freight is the main means of transporting raw materials (oil, coal, grain, etc.) over very long distances.
Today, sea freight accounts for 90% of international merchandise trade. At the end of March 2022, more than 57 000 merchant ships had been sailing around the world, over 50% of them carrying oil and related products.
The world's fleet of ships (March 2022)
| Vessel type | Number |
|---|---|
| Oil tankers | 2 206 |
| Tanker ships | 9 809 |
| Chemical carriers | 3 991 |
| Bulk carriers | 12 766 |
| LPG carriers | 1 532 |
| LNG carriers | 685 |
| Container ships | 5 606 |
| Multipurpose freighters | 3 188 |
| General cargo ships | 16 112 |
| RoRo ships | 1 586 |
| Total cargo ships | 57 481 |
| Offshore vessels | 8 926 |
| Services | 2 112 |
| Tugs | 21 288 |
| Passenger ships | 8 938 |
| Other non-cargo vessels | 4 259 |
| Total | 45 523 |
| Grand total | 103 004 |
Source: International Underwriting Association
Read also | Ranking of major ports in 2022
Breakdown of the world merchant fleet by region (March 2022)
| Europe (1) | Far East (2) | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container ships | 54% | 36% | 10% |
| Oil tankers | 42% | 26% | 32% |
| LPG LNG | 33% | 36% | 31% |
| Bulk containers | 32% | 53% | 15% |
| Total | 37% | 40% | 23% |
(1) Europe : EU, GB, Norway, Switzerland
(2) Far East : China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore
Breakdown of world merchant fleet by country/region (March 2022)
| Country/region | Shares |
|---|---|
| Greece | 17% |
| Germany | 4% |
| Other European countries | 20% |
| China | 15% |
| Japan | 12% |
| South Korea | 4% |
| Other countries in Asia/Oceania | 12% |
| United States | 4% |
| Other countries in the Americas | 3% |
| Other countries | 9% |
| Total | 100% |
Source: IUMI/Clarksons Research
World merchant fleet breakdown by country of registration (January 2021)
As shown in the table below, on 1 January 2021, there were 53 973 merchant ships over 1 000 ums (Universal Measurement System), carrying all types of cargo. This fleet is registered under more than 150 different flags. More than a million seafarers of all nationalities are employed in marine freight activities.
The merchant navy is the key to the global economy without which the trade of raw materials and finished products at reasonable cost from one continent to another would simply be impossible.
Countries of registration of the world merchant fleet (January 2021)
Figures in number of vessels
| Shipowner countries | Country of registration | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama | China | Liberia | Marshall Islands | Singapore | Hong Kong | Indonesia | Others | ||
| China | 655 | 4 887 | 152 | 103 | 62 | 935 | 8 | 7 318 | 14 120 |
| Greece | 465 | 0 | 1 101 | 1 055 | 28 | 20 | 2 | 4 705 | 7 376 |
| Japan | 2 066 | 0 | 252 | 234 | 169 | 54 | 7 | 4 029 | 6 811 |
| Singapore | 282 | 4 | 242 | 137 | 1 459 | 134 | 95 | 2 843 | 5 196 |
| Germany | 34 | 0 | 580 | 96 | 74 | 18 | 0 | 2 395 | 3 197 |
| Indonesia | 16 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 2 232 | 2 321 | 4 596 |
| Norway | 48 | 0 | 89 | 132 | 81 | 50 | 4 | 2 042 | 2 446 |
| United States | 67 | 0 | 95 | 318 | 8 | 37 | 1 | 1 813 | 2 339 |
| Russia | 34 | 0 | 117 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 786 | 1 940 |
| Hong Kong | 324 | 20 | 53 | 69 | 51 | 886 | 3 | 1 764 | 3 170 |
| Total | 3 991 | 4 913 | 2 688 | 2 153 | 1 942 | 2 136 | 2 352 | NA | 51 191 |
| Rest of the world | 6 653 | 4 933 | 3 909 | 3 732 | 2 541 | 2 440 | 2 398 | NA | 53 973 |
Situation in January 2021
Source: UNCTAD
Catastrophic risks in marine transport can be linked to the sea and its hazards (foreseeable or unforeseeable), to the condition of the vessels and the skills of the crew, to the dangerousness of the products transported, to wars and acts of maritime piracy.
The risks increase in straits, in certain canals and on the freeways of the sea, where numerous wrecks run aground, a source of collisions and accidents for other vessels. New risks are emerging with the transport of hazardous chemicals. This is why issues pertaining to liability, guarantees and risk coverage are particularly crucial.
