Collection

Maritime and shipping statistics

Data and statistics about ports, shipping, sea passengers, waterborne freight and seafarers.

From:
Department for Transport
Published
7 January 2013
Last updated
11 December 2024 — See all updates

Maritime statistics interactive dashboard

Interactive maritime statistics dashboard - explore maritime trends further using interactive maps and visualisations via our dashboard. Covering UK major ports from the year 2000 onwards.

Port and domestic waterborne freight statistics

Port freight covers freight handled by all UK sea ports. Provisional figures are published quarterly, and final annual statistics are published in the summer.

Domestic waterborne freight are now included in the annual port freight release. These cover inland waters traffic, traffic carried around the UK coast, one-port traffic to and from offshore installations and sea dredging.

The statistics are based mainly on returns from port operators, shipping lines and agents, and an independent survey of inland waterway operators.

Number of passengers on vessels are available in the sea passenger data collection.

Port freight information on current and previous port freight and domestic waterborne freight statistics are available.

Sea passenger statistics

Statistics relating to international and domestic passenger traffic handled at UK ports. Data is published annually, except for international short sea (ferry) passenger totals which are updated monthly in table SPAS0107.

Passenger vehicle numbers are available in the port freight data collection. See data tables with a cargo breakdown for this information (for example, tables PORT0201 to PORT0203).

Sea passenger information on current and previous sea passenger statistics are available.

Shipping fleet statistics

Statistics are produced annually, based on data from two different sources, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) official UK Ship Register data and commercially procured world shipping fleet data.

Since they are obtained from a commercial source, the statistics are not considered to be accredited official statistics, but they are considered to be of good quality.

User feedback

In 2023, the department invited user feedback on the data tables available for shipping fleet statistics. The Department for Transport (DfT) received minimal responses with no objections to the changes proposed. Therefore, DfT will review the tables as proposed in the index, and changes will be reflected in the 2024 release due in March 2025.

Shipping fleet information on current and previous shipping fleet statistics are available.

Seafarer statistics

Annual statistics relating to the estimated number of UK seafarers, including some statistics on non-UK seafarers, qualified to serve on UK registered vessels, and indicative projections of the future number of UK certificated officers. Statistics are updated annually and based on a combination of administrative sources and industry surveys.

Seafarer information on current and previous seafarer statistics are available.

About the maritime and shipping data and reports

Since the shipping fleet statistics are derived from a commercial source outside of the Department for Transport’s control, the statistics are not classed as accredited official statistics. The department’s view is that all statistics which are not designated as accredited official statistics are robust and have been produced to a suitable standard.

Statistics related to the maritime industry are published by other governmental organisations. Such as:

Updates to this page

Published 7 January 2013
Last updated 11 December 2024 + show all updates

  1. Port freight quarterly statistics for July to September 2024 published.

  2. Port freight quarterly statistics for April to June 2024 published.

  3. Sea passenger statistics, all routes for 2023 published.

  4. Port freight annual statistics for the year 2023 published.

  5. Port freight quarterly statistics for January to March 2024 published.

  6. The latest shipping fleet and port freight releases added.

  7. Seafarers 2023 report added.

  8. Port freight quarterly statistics for July to September 2023 added.

  9. Port freight quarterly statistics for April to June 2023 added.

  10. Sea passenger statistics, all routes for the year 2022 added.

  11. Port freight annual statistics report for 2022 added.

  12. Port freight quarterly statistics report for January to March 2023 added.

  13. Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry for the year 2022 has been revised.

  14. Shipping fleet statistics report for 2022 added. Information on user feedback added.

  15. Port freight quarterly statistics for October to December 2022 added.

  16. Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry report for 2022 added.

  17. Port freight quarterly statistics, July to September 2022 added.

  18. Port freight quarterly statistics, April to June 2022 added.

  19. Port freight and sea passenger annual statistics for 2021 added.

  20. Port freight quarterly statistics for January to March 2022 added.

  21. Feedback survey comments section and Shipping fleet statistics for the year 2021 added to the page.

  22. Port freight quarterly statistics, October to December 2021 added.

  23. Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry 2021 added.

  24. Port freight quarterly statistics, July to September 2021 added.

  25. Sea passenger statistics, all routes 2020 added.

  26. Port freight quarterly statistics, April to June 2021 added to collection. Port freight annual statistics for 2020 updated to include the latest domestic waterborne freight statistics for the year 2020.

  27. Port freight annual statistics for the year 2020 added to collection.

  28. Port freight quarterly statistics for January to March 2021 added to collection.

  29. Port freight quarterly statistics, October to December 2020 and Shipping fleet statistics 2020 added to collection.

  30. Sea passenger statistics 2020 - short sea routes and Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry 2020 added to collection.

  31. Port freight quarterly statistics for July to September 2020 added to the collection.

  32. Sea passenger statistics, all routes 2019 report added to collection.

  33. Port freight quarterly statistics for April to June 2020 added to the collection.

  34. Port freight annual statistics for 2019 and interactive dashboard information added to collection.

  35. Port freight quarterly statistics, January to March 2020 added to collection.

  36. Shipping fleet statistics 2019 report added to collection.

  37. Collection page updated for the latest port freight quarterly publication (October to December 2019).

  38. Collection page updated for the latest short sea routes for sea passenger statistics publication.

  39. Collection page updated for the latest port freight quarterly and seafarers publication.

  40. New statistics release added "Sea passenger statistics: all routes 2018 final report".

  41. Added latest publication to collection page: Port freight quarterly statistics: April to June 2019.

  42. Updated for port freight annual statistics: 2018 final figures.

  43. New statistics release published - Port freight quarterly statistics: January to March 2019.

  44. New releases for port freight and shipping fleet statistics published.

  45. Sea passenger statistics 2018 provisional figures for short sea routes published.

  46. New port freight quarterly and seafarers release published.

  47. New sea passenger release published.

  48. New releases published.

  49. New releases published.

  50. New release published.

  51. New release published.

  52. New release published.

  53. New release published including user consultation.

  54. New sea passenger statistics report published.

  55. New releases published.

  56. New release published.

  57. New release published.

  58. New release published.

  59. New release published.

  60. New release published.

  61. New release published.

  62. New release published.

  63. New release published.

  64. New release published.

  65. New release published.

  66. New release published.

  67. New release published.

  68. New release published.

  69. New release published.

  70. Port freight statistics, April to June 2016 published.

  71. New release published.

  72. New release added.

  73. New release published.

  74. New release published.

  75. New release published.

  76. Latest seafarer statistics published.

  77. Latest port freight statistics published.

  78. First published.

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