Singapore has claimed the top spot in the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index for the 13th consecutive year, coinciding with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s 30th anniversary. Backed by record-breaking container throughput and bunkering volumes in 2025, the milestone underscores the Lion City’s enduring dominance and connectivity in global trade.
Singapore | July 10, 2026 – Marking a momentous milestone as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) celebrates its 30th anniversary, the Lion City has once again been crowned the world’s leading maritime centre in the 2026 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index.
This latest triumph marks the 13th consecutive year that Singapore has claimed the top spot in the globally recognized benchmark, underscoring three decades of strategic partnership between regulators, industry pioneers, and the wider maritime community.
A Benchmark of Global Excellence
Jointly published by the historic Baltic Exchange and China’s Xinhua News Agency, the ISCD Index serves as the premier annual evaluation of global maritime hubs. The index evaluates cities across a comprehensive matrix of performance indicators, including port operational efficiency, the depth and breadth of maritime business services, and the overall macroeconomic and regulatory business environment.
Singapore’s record-breaking retention of the crown is backed by phenomenal operational milestones achieved in 2025:
- Container Throughput: Handled a record-breaking 44.66 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).
- Vessel Arrivals: Reached 3.22 billion gross tonnage in vessel traffic.
- Bunkering Leadership: Retained its status as the world’s leading bunkering port, supplying a record 56.77 million tonnes of marine fuel, which increasingly includes lower-carbon alternative marine fuels.
- Global Connectivity: Maintained vital trade arteries linking to more than 600 ports worldwide, serving as the operational home base for over 200 international shipping groups.
Industry Collaboration Drives Success
Reflecting on the achievement during MPA’s Pearl Anniversary year, Mr. Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, shared:
“We are honoured that Singapore has once again been recognised as the world’s leading maritime centre. This reflects the strong commitment and collective efforts of our industry partners and the wider maritime community. As the industry continues to evolve, we will continue working closely with our partners to strengthen Maritime Singapore’s competitiveness and create value for the global maritime community.”
As global shipping accelerates through digital transformation and green energy transitions, Singapore’s milestone victory reaffirms its enduring role as a trusted, resilient, and forward-looking platform for the international maritime sector.
About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
Established in 1996, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has the core mission of developing Singapore as a global hub port and international maritime centre, while advancing and safeguarding the nation’s strategic maritime interests. MPA fulfills multiple critical roles, acting as Singapore’s maritime and port regulator and planner, international maritime centre champion, national maritime representative, and a leading advocate for maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation efforts.
To achieve these goals, MPA partners with industry leaders, the research community, and various government agencies to enhance safety, security, and environmental protection. It also facilitates maritime and port operations and growth, expands multi-domain capabilities,
Source: MPA Singapore