Markets

Mapping Shipping Lanes: Maritime Traffic Around the World

Published

12 months ago

June 20, 2022

Adam Symington

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Carmen Ang

Click to view a larger version of the map.

Mapping Shipping Lanes: Maritime Traffic Around the World

Each year, thousands of ships travel across the globe, transporting everything from passengers to consumer goods like wheat and oil.

But just how busy are global maritime routes, and where are the world’s major shipping lanes? This map by Adam Symington paints a macro picture of the world’s maritime traffic by highlighting marine traffic density around the world.

It uses data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in partnership with The World Bank, as part of IMF’s World Seaborne Trade Monitoring System.

Data spans from Jan 2015 to Feb 2021 and includes five different types of ships: commercial ships, fishing ships, oil & gas, passenger ships, and leisure vessels.

An Overview of Key Maritime Shipping Lanes

If you take a look at the map, you’ll spot some distinct areas where traffic is heavily concentrated.

These high-density areas are the world’s main shipping lanes. Syminton provided some zoomed-in visuals of these waterways in detail, so let’s dive in:

Panama Canal

Map of marine traffic density along the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a man-made waterway that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. For ships traveling from the east to west coast of the U.S., this route avoids the far more treacherous Cape Horn at the tip of South America or the Bering Strait in the Arctic, and shaves off roughly 8,000 nautical miles—or 21 days off their journey.

In 2021, approximately 516.7 million tons of goods passed through the major waterway, according to Ricaurte Vasquez, the Panama Canal Authority’s administrator.

Strait of Malacca

Map of marine traffic density along the Strait of Malacca

This marine passage is the fastest connector between the Pacific and Indian oceans, winding through the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. It’s a slender waterway—at its narrowest point, the canal is less than 1.9 miles wide. Approximately 70,000 ships pass through this strait each year.

The Danish Straits

Map of marine traffic density along the Danish Straits

Connecting the North Sea with the Baltic Sea, the Danish Straits include three channels: the Oresund, the Great Belt and the Little Belt.

The Danish Straits are known to be a major passageway for Russian oil exports—which, despite sanctions and boycotts against Russian oil, have remained strong throughout 2022 so far.

Suez Canal

Map of marine traffic density along the Suez Canal

This 120-mile-long artificial waterway runs through Egypt and connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, saving ships traveling between Asia and Europe a long passage around Africa. Over 20,600 vessels traveled through the canal in 2021.

Last year, the canal made headlines after a 1,312-foot-long container ship called the Ever Given got stuck in the canal for six days, causing a massive traffic jam and halting billions of dollars worth of traded goods.

Strait of Hormuz

Map of marine traffic density along the Strait of Hormuz

This 615-mile waterway connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and ultimately drains into the Arabian Sea. In 2020, the canal transported approximately 18 million barrels of oil every day.

The English Channel

Map of marine traffic density along the English Channel

Located between England and France, the 350-mile-long English Channel links the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 500 vessels travel through the channel each day, making it one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Some of the major European rivers are also clearly visible in these visualizations, including the Thames in the UK, the Seine in France, and the Meuse (or Mass) that flows through Belgium and the Netherlands.

COVID-19’s Impact on Maritime Transport

Though these maps show six years worth of marine traffic, it’s important to remember that many sectors were negatively impacted by the global pandemic, and maritime trade was no exception. In 2020, global maritime shipments dropped by 3.8% to 10.65 billion tons.

While the drop wasn’t as severe as expected, and output is projected to keep growing throughout 2022, certain areas are still feeling the effects of COVID-19-induced restrictions.

For instance, in March 2022, shipping volume at the port of Shanghai screeched to a halt due to strict lockdowns in Shanghai, triggered by a COVID-19 outbreak. Traffic was impacted for months, and while operations have rebounded, marine traffic in the area is still congested.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Markets

Mapped: The State of Economic Freedom in 2023

How free are people to control their own labor, property, and finances? This map reveals the state of economic freedom globally.

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2023

Avery Koop

Mapped: The State of Economic Freedom in 2023

The concept of economic freedom serves as a vital framework for evaluating the extent to which individuals and businesses have the freedom to make economic decisions. In countries with low economic freedom, governments exert coercion and constraints on liberties, restricting choice for individuals and businesses, which can ultimately hinder prosperity.

The map above uses the annual Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation to showcase the level of economic freedom in every country worldwide on a scale of 0-100, looking at factors like property rights, tax burdens, labor freedom, and so on.

The ranking categorizing scores of 80+ as free economies, 70-79.9 as mostly free, 60-69.9 as moderately free, 50-59.9 as mostly unfree, and 0-49.9 as repressed.

Measuring Economic Freedom

This ranking uses four broad categories with three key indicators each, both qualitative and quantitative, to measure economic freedom.

Rule of law: property rights, judicial effectiveness, government integrity
Size of government: tax burdens, fiscal health, government spending
Regulatory efficiency: labor freedom, monetary freedom, business freedom
Open markets: financial freedom, trade freedom, investment freedom

The 12 indicators are weighted equally and scored from 0-100. The overall score is then determined from the average of the 12 indicators.

Here’s a closer look at every country’s score:

Rank	Country	2023 Score
#1	🇸🇬 Singapore	83.9
#2	🇨🇭 Switzerland	83.8
#3	🇮🇪 Ireland	82.0
#4	🇹🇼 Taiwan	80.7
#5	🇳🇿 New Zealand	78.9
#6	🇪🇪 Estonia	78.6
#7	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	78.4
#8	🇳🇱 Netherlands	78.0
#9	🇩🇰 Denmark	77.6
#10	🇸🇪 Sweden	77.5
#11	🇫🇮 Finland	77.1
#12	🇳🇴 Norway	76.9
#13	🇦🇺 Australia	74.8
#14	🇩🇪 Germany	73.7
#15	🇰🇷 South Korea	73.7
#16	🇨🇦 Canada	73.7
#17	🇱🇻 Latvia	72.8
#18	🇨🇾 Cyprus	72.3
#19	🇮🇸 Iceland	72.2
#20	🇱🇹 Lithuania	72.2
#21	🇨🇿 Czechia	71.9
#22	🇨🇱 Chile	71.1
#23	🇦🇹 Austria	71.1
#24	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	70.9
#25	🇺🇸 United States	70.6
#26	🇲🇺 Mauritius	70.6
#27	🇺🇾 Uruguay	70.2
#28	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	69.9
#29	🇧🇧 Barbados	69.8
#30	🇵🇹 Portugal	69.5
#31	🇯🇵 Japan	69.3
#32	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	69.3
#33	🇸🇰 Slovakia	69.0
#34	🇮🇱 Israel	68.9
#35	🇬🇪 Georgia	68.7
#36	🇶🇦 Qatar	68.6
#37	🇸🇮 Slovenia	68.5
#38	🇼🇸 Samoa	68.3
#39	🇯🇲 Jamaica	68.1
#40	🇵🇱 Poland	67.7
#41	🇲🇹 Malta	67.5
#42	🇲🇾 Malaysia	67.3
#43	🇧🇪 Belgium	67.1
#44	🇵🇪 Peru	66.5
#45	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	66.5
#46	🇭🇷 Croatia	66.4
#47	🇨🇻 Cabo Verde	65.8
#48	🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam	65.7
#49	🇦🇱 Albania	65.3
#50	🇦🇲 Armenia	65.1
#51	🇪🇸 Spain	65.0
#52	🇧🇼 Botswana	64.9
#53	🇷🇴 Romania	64.5
#54	🇭🇺 Hungary	64.1
#55	🇵🇦 Panama	63.8
#56	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	63.7
#57	🇫🇷 France	63.6
#58	🇷🇸 Serbia	63.5
#59	🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	63.5
#60	🇮🇩 Indonesia	63.5
#61	🇲🇽 Mexico	63.2
#62	🇨🇴 Colombia	63.1
#63	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	62.9
#64	🇬🇹 Guatemala	62.7
#65	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	62.6
#66	🇧🇸 The Bahamas	62.6
#67	🇫🇲 Micronesia	62.6
#68	🇧🇭 Bahrain	62.5
#69	🇮🇹 Italy	62.3
#70	🇻🇺 Vanuatu	62.1
#71	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	62.1
#72	🇻🇳 Vietnam	61.8
#73	🇲🇳 Mongolia	61.7
#74	🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe	61.5
#75	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	61.4
#76	🇵🇾 Paraguay	61.0
#77	🇲🇪 Montenegro	60.9
#78	🇽🇰 Kosovo	60.7
#79	🇱🇨 Saint Lucia	60.7
#80	🇹🇭 Thailand	60.6
#81	🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire	60.4
#82	🇹🇴 Tonga	60.0
#83	🇹🇿 Tanzania	60.0
#84	🇧🇯 Benin	59.8
#85	🇧🇿 Belize	59.8
#86	🇩🇲 Dominica	59.7
#87	🇸🇨 Seychelles	59.5
#88	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	59.5
#89	🇵🇭 Philippines	59.3
#90	🇧🇹 Bhutan	59.0
#91	🇲🇬 Madagascar	58.9
#92	🇰🇮 Kiribati	58.8
#93	🇯🇴 Jordan	58.8
#94	🇭🇳 Honduras	58.7
#95	🇴🇲 Oman	58.5
#96	🇲🇩 Moldova	58.5
#97	🇲🇦 Morocco	58.4
#98	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	58.3
#99	🇬🇭 Ghana	58.0
#100	🇫🇯 Fiji	58.0
#101	🇬🇲 The Gambia	57.9
#102	🇳🇦 Namibia	57.7
#103	🇸🇳 Senegal	57.7
#104	🇹🇷 Türkiye	56.9
#105	🇬🇾 Guyana	56.9
#106	🇬🇷 Greece	56.9
#107	🇸🇧 Solomon Islands	56.9
#108	🇰🇼 Kuwait	56.7
#109	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	56.5
#110	🇰🇭 Cambodia	56.5
#111	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	56.2
#112	🇬🇦 Gabon	56.1
#113	🇩🇯 Djibouti	56.1
#114	🇸🇻 El Salvador	56.0
#115	🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	55.8
#116	🇿🇦 South Africa	55.7
#117	🇲🇷 Mauritania	55.3
#118	🇹🇬 Togo	55.3
#119	🇪🇨 Ecuador	55.0
#120	🇸🇿 Eswatini	54.9
#121	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	54.9
#122	🇲🇱 Mali	54.5
#123	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	54.4
#124	🇳🇬 Nigeria	53.9
#125	🇷🇺 Russia	53.8
#126	🇳🇪 Niger	53.7
#127	🇧🇷 Brazil	53.5
#128	🇰🇲 Comoros	53.5
#129	🇬🇳 Guinea	53.2
#130	🇦🇴 Angola	53.0
#131	🇮🇳 India	52.9
#132	🇹🇳 Tunisia	52.9
#133	🇲🇼 Malawi	52.8
#134	🇲🇿 Mozambique	52.5
#135	🇰🇪 Kenya	52.5
#136	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	52.2
#137	🇷🇼 Rwanda	52.2
#138	🇹🇩 Chad	52.0
#139	🇨🇲 Cameroon	51.9
#140	🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea	51.7
#141	🇱🇸 Lesotho	51.6
#142	🇳🇵 Nepal	51.4
#143	🇺🇬 Uganda	51.4
#144	🇦🇷 Argentina	51.0
#145	🇧🇾 Belarus	51.0
#146	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	50.6
#147	🇱🇦 Laos	50.3
#148	🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	50.2
#149	🇭🇹 Haiti	49.9
#150	🇱🇷 Liberia	49.6
#151	🇪🇬 Egypt	49.6
#152	🇵🇰 Pakistan	49.4
#153	🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea	48.3
#154	🇨🇳 China	48.3
#155	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	48.3
#156	🇨🇬 Congo	48.1
#157	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	47.9
#158	🇿🇲 Zambia	47.8
#159	🇹🇱 Timor-Leste	47.2
#160	🇲🇻 Maldives	46.6
#161	🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	46.5
#162	🇲🇲 Myanmar	46.5
#163	🇸🇷 Suriname	46.1
#164	🇱🇧 Lebanon	45.6
#165	🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau	44.6
#166	🇨🇫 Central African Republic	43.8
#167	🇧🇴 Bolivia	43.4
#168	🇩🇿 Algeria	43.2
#169	🇮🇷 Iran	42.2
#170	🇧🇮 Burundi	41.9
#171	🇪🇷 Eritrea	39.5
#172	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	39.0
#173	🇸🇩 Sudan	32.8
#174	🇻🇪 Venezuela	25.8
#175	🇨🇺 Cuba	24.3
#176	🇰🇵 North Korea	2.9
-	🇮🇶 Iraq	N/A
-	🇱🇾 Libya	N/A
-	🇱🇮 Liechtenstein	N/A
-	Afghanistan	N/A

Only four countries in the world have a score of 80 or above, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, and Taiwan, categorizing them as completely free economically.

Let’s now look at things from a more regional perspective.

Europe

map of economic freedom in europe in 2023

From a regional perspective, Europe ranks the strongest in economic freedom.

Despite being a powerhouse within Europe, Germany ranks 10th in the continent, with a score of 73.7. One of the categories Germany scored the weakest in was government spending (28.3/100). Over the last three years, government spending has averaged 49% of GDP.

Ireland ranks third globally, scoring particularly high in categories like property rights and judicial effectiveness. The country also has no minimum capital requirement—which is typically a banking regulation and corporate law issue determining how many assets an organization must hold—making it attractive for businesses to set up shop on the Emerald Isle.

Africa

map of economic freedom in Africa in 2023

Currently, Africa is the continent with the least economic freedom in the world, however, it is also the region with the highest potential for economic growth. A booming population, and thus, labor force, are promising for future innovation. In fact, it’s anticipated that Africa will see an increase of 2.5 billion people by the end of the century.

The lowest scoring country in Africa is Sudan, a country under further strain thanks to rife civil conflict. Historically, economic development has been constrained by rampant corruption and a lack of institutional capacity.

Conversely, Botswana registered the highest score on continental Africa (64.9), ranking higher than countries like France and Italy.

The Americas

map of economic freedom in the americas in 2023

In the Americas, the United States ranks 3rd regionally—25th overall—with a score of 70.6. The report attributes the categorization of U.S. as only “mostly free” to issues like inflation, increasing government debt, and unchecked deficit spending. Public debt currently sits at a figure equivalent to more than 128% of GDP.

In South America, Chile comes out on top, ranking above many other economic powerhouses like the U.S., the UK, and Japan. However, the 2021 election of a new Constitutional Assembly could risk the current economic state, as it favors a much more socialist approach to the economy.

East Asia and Oceania

map of economic freedom in asia and oceania in 2023

China’s score is among the lowest in East Asia & Oceania, ranking 154th in the world categorizing it as a repressed economy. The ruling Chinese Communist Party routinely exercises direct control over economic activity. China’s protectionist stance towards foreign investment and a plethora of trade tariffs imposed by other nations also factor in here.

In India, where public debt is equivalent to about 84% of GDP, fiscal health is the worst-scoring category. Additionally, much of the economy remains quite informal; a large share of people work in jobs without tax slips, recorded income, or formal contracts protecting them, which challenges labor freedoms.

The Middle East and Central Asia

map of economic freedom in the middle east and central asia in 2023

It may come as no surprise that the United Arab Emirates has the highest score in the Middle East. The UAE has implemented various measures and initiatives, such as tax exemptions, duty-free zones, streamlined business registration processes, and flexible regulatory frameworks to encourage entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment. As well, the top individual and corporate tax rates in the country are 0%.

Türkiye’s lowest scoring category relates to judiciary effectiveness and the rule of law. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has already been in power for two decades, recently won the country’s election, again cementing his authority over Turkish politics. This makes it unlikely that Türkiye’s economic freedom score will recover in the short to medium term.

Where Does This Data Come From?

Source: The Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation

Data notes: A number of countries were not ranked due to unavailable data or other factors, like ongoing war, that made it difficult to properly assess the economy. These countries include: Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Liechtenstein, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.