Best-connected economy · LSCI index
1,342 points
Spain’s index
407 points
Economies with an index
178 economies
European economies in the top 20
7 economies
What the data say · Q3 2026
China ranks first among economies with 1,342 points in the third quarter of 2026 (3.2% more than a year earlier). It is followed by South Korea (634.6 points) and Singapore (625.7 points).
The largest increases were recorded by Indonesia (+8.2%), Jamaica (+7.6%) and Hong Kong (+7.1%); the steepest falls by the United Arab Emirates (−39.1%), Portugal (−12.4%) and Oman (−10.6%).
The rest of the top ten are the United States of America (4th, 512 points, −3.1%), Malaysia (5th, 504.8 points, −2.9%), Vietnam (6th, 489.6 points, +5.4%), Japan (7th, 412.5 points, −3.9%), Spain (8th, 407 points, −3.4%), India (9th, 383.1 points, −3.8%) and the United Kingdom (10th, 382.9 points, −3.4%).
UNCTAD calculates the index for 178 economies in the third quarter of 2026; this page ranks the top 50. It measures each economy’s container shipping supply (services, carriers, capacity and direct connections), not its trade volume.
The index of China is 2.1 times that of South Korea, the second economy on the list. Of the 50 economies in the table with a comparison, 27 have a higher index than a year earlier and 23 a lower or unchanged one.
Spain ranks 8th, with 407 points, 3.4% less than a year earlier. Immediately above is Japan (412.5 points) and immediately below, India (383.1 points).
The top twenty include 7 European economies: Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Türkiye and Italy.
Top 10 · Economies by maritime connectivity index (LSCI) · Q3 2026
What this indicator measures
UNCTAD’s Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) measures every quarter how integrated each economy is in the global network of container services: scheduled calls, deployed capacity, number of services and carriers, size of the largest ship and countries with a direct connection. Its base is 100 for the average of all economies in the first quarter of 2023. It does not measure a country’s trade volume but the shipping options available to its importers and exporters.
Full table · 50 economies
| # | Economies | LSCI index | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,342 | +3.2% |
| 2 | South Korea | 634.6 | +2.0% |
| 3 | Singapore | 625.7 | +0.9% |
| 4 | United States of America | 512 | −3.1% |
| 5 | Malaysia | 504.8 | −2.9% |
| 6 | Vietnam | 489.6 | +5.4% |
| 7 | Japan | 412.5 | −3.9% |
| 8 | Spain | 407 | −3.4% |
| 9 | India | 383.1 | −3.8% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 382.9 | −3.4% |
| 11 | Netherlands | 374.9 | −1.0% |
| 12 | Hong Kong | 367.3 | +7.1% |
| 13 | Belgium | 347 | +0.9% |
| 14 | Germany | 326.6 | +1.0% |
| 15 | Taiwan | 321.5 | −3.7% |
| 16 | Türkiye | 299 | −5.7% |
| 17 | Italy | 287.1 | −1.0% |
| 18 | Thailand | 282.6 | +2.3% |
| 19 | Sri Lanka | 267.4 | +1.6% |
| 20 | Egypt | 264.1 | −6.2% |
| 21 | France | 263.4 | +0.8% |
| 22 | Morocco | 262.4 | +4.1% |
| 23 | Indonesia | 259 | +8.2% |
| 24 | Panama | 221 | +5.1% |
| 25 | Saudi Arabia | 218.7 | −10.5% |
| 26 | Colombia | 211.2 | +2.7% |
| 27 | Mexico | 201.1 | +5.1% |
| 28 | United Arab Emirates | 193.9 | −39.1% |
| 29 | Philippines | 187.1 | +1.6% |
| 30 | Greece | 172.7 | −2.0% |
| 31 | Russia | 168.5 | −2.6% |
| 32 | Brazil | 165.1 | +3.4% |
| 33 | Portugal | 159.9 | −12.4% |
| 34 | Pakistan | 157.3 | −6.5% |
| 35 | Australia | 144.5 | +2.3% |
| 36 | Canada | 144.1 | −8.6% |
| 37 | Poland | 142.2 | −0.3% |
| 38 | Côte d’Ivoire | 140.9 | +6.8% |
| 39 | Ghana | 138.2 | +1.2% |
| 40 | Peru | 137.1 | +1.7% |
| 41 | Dominican Republic | 132 | +3.9% |
| 42 | Oman | 127.4 | −10.6% |
| 43 | Jamaica | 123.9 | +7.6% |
| 44 | Togo | 117.4 | −1.6% |
| 45 | Nigeria | 116.7 | +4.4% |
| 46 | South Africa | 114.7 | −0.3% |
| 47 | Ecuador | 113.7 | +2.6% |
| 48 | Malta | 113.3 | +2.5% |
| 49 | Argentina | 112.2 | +1.8% |
| 50 | Sweden | 111.5 | −4.0% |
Context
China tops the list by a wide margin, followed by the Asian economies on the main routes: South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Viet Nam. The United States is the first economy in the Americas and Spain the first in the European Union, because of the weight of transhipment in Algeciras, Valencia and Barcelona. The monthly version of the index, with Spain month by month, has its own page.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the best maritime connectivity in the world?
China, with 1,342 points in the third quarter of 2026.
Which three countries hold the top positions?
China (1,342 points), South Korea (634.6 points) and Singapore (625.7 points) in the third quarter of 2026.
Where does Spain rank?
Spain ranks 8th, with 407 points, 3.4% less than a year earlier.
When is this data updated?
UNCTAD publishes the data every quarter. Latest data available: Q3 2026.
Source
UNCTAD. To explore the data in detail, use Connectivity · countries or see the original source.