Singapore Ranked World’s Top Maritime Hub For 12th Year In A Row

Singapore has once again been ranked the world’s top maritime centre, marking its 12th consecutive year at the top of the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index.

This annual index is published jointly by China’s Xinhua News Agency and the Baltic Exchange. It offers an independent benchmarking of the world’s major maritime hubs by evaluating key factors such as port activity, infrastructure quality, maritime services like shipbroking, finance and law, as well as the overall business environment.

The ISCD Index is widely used by shipping companies, port investors, and maritime service providers to assess market strength and decide on future investments and services.

Singapore held its top position among 43 global maritime cities and regions. This was due to its steady performance as one of the busiest transhipment and bunkering hubs in the world. The country is also supported by a strong network of professional maritime services and skilled experts.

In 2024, Singapore reached a record high in container handling with 41.12 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in throughput. The total tonnage of vessels arriving at its ports exceeded 3 billion gross tons during the year. It also continued to be the world’s largest bunkering port, delivering 54.92 million tonnes of marine fuel.

Singapore is home to over 200 international shipping companies and has been attracting a growing number of maritime technology start-ups. This growth is helping to create new career opportunities in areas such as port operations, maritime law, automation, sustainability, and digital systems management. The maritime sector in Singapore is quickly adapting to meet the demands of a digital and greener future.

According to reports, the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Mr Ang Wee Keong, credited the industry partners, unions, and research and enterprise community for their role in helping Singapore grow into a major global maritime centre.

Keong said that Singapore will continue to invest in innovation, green technologies, digital solutions, and workforce development to strengthen its role as a trusted and future-ready maritime hub.

Reference: MPA

Source: Maritime Shipping News