How many ships pass through the chokepoints?
The ships page shows where tankers and cargo ships are reported at the most important straits, canals and ports, and counts distinct ships per hour and day. That way you see whether traffic is backing up, being rerouted or staying away. Positions and counts only, no forecasts.
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How it works
Almost every larger ship broadcasts its position, speed and course by radio, along with its type, length and draft (AIS, the automatic identification system). Receivers on land pick up these messages. Portfolio Lab counts them in fixed boxes around twelve chokepoints and ports, from the Strait of Hormuz to the Panama Canal.
It counts distinct ships per hour and day, split into tankers and cargo ships, plus how many are under way (at least 2 knots) and, as a rough estimate, whether they are laden. The draft gives this away: a fully laden tanker sits deeper in the water than one in ballast.
For investors, such data offers a view of world trade, for example when a route is avoided because of a conflict or ships queue up in front of a canal. Coverage depends on the receivers: a gap in reception looks like less traffic.
What a result looks like
Sample dataMade-up sample data, no real prices and no recommendation. Calculated with the same methods as the tool itself.
Inputs in this example
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Create accountShips at this chokepoint, reported in the last hour.
Strait of Gibraltar
Strait · Mediterranean: Strait with Algeciras, Gibraltar and Tanger Med.
Dots: last reported position within the last 3 hours (faded: older than one hour); arrow: under way, tip pointing along the course. Dashed: the counted box. Ships, names and positions are made up.
Daily history
Distinct ships per day or hour in the chokepoint's rectangle, including those waiting. Days and hours in UTC.
| Day | Tankers | Cargo ships | under way (T / C) | Tankers laden / ballast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Dec 2025 | 41 | 117 | 38 / 112 | 25 / 16 |
| 25 Dec 2025 | 58 | 102 | 55 / 97 | 27 / 31 |
| 26 Dec 2025 | 28 | 99 | 25 / 94 | 16 / 12 |
| 27 Dec 2025 | 34 | 91 | 31 / 86 | 17 / 17 |
| 28 Dec 2025 | 46 | 96 | 43 / 91 | 24 / 22 |
| 29 Dec 2025 | 44 | 98 | 41 / 93 | 23 / 21 |
| 30 Dec 2025 | 44 | 98 | 41 / 93 | 26 / 18 |
Dashed: of which under way (at least 2 kn), a guide to transits. Shown are days with at least 20 hours of reception; the table shows the last seven.
Assumptions: Traffic is made up: random arrivals of tankers, cargo ships and other vessels every hour, a position report every 20 minutes in the lane for their direction, plus ships at anchor in the Bay of Algeciras. Counted with the same counting as in the tool; draft and length are made up.
Frequently asked questions
What is AIS?
The automatic identification system, through which ships above a certain size regularly broadcast their position, course, speed and static data. It serves safety at sea; the messages can be picked up by receivers on land.
Which chokepoints does the page cover?
The Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Malacca, the Singapore Strait, Gibraltar, the Bosporus and Dardanelles, the Panama Canal, the Strait of Dover, the Great Belt and Øresund, and the anchorages off Rotterdam and Houston.
How accurate is “laden” or “in ballast”?
Only a rough guide: the page compares the reported draft with the largest draft seen so far for the ship and with a benchmark derived from its length. The crew enters the draft by hand, often late.
Why are ships sometimes missing?
Receivers on land only hear ships near the coast. Where there are few receivers, ships or whole hours are missing. Ships can also switch off their AIS or send false information.
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