Daily transits (7-day average)
50 transits a day
Estimated cargo capacity (7-day average)
554,422 tonnes a day
Against the 28-day average
-5.3%
Rank by daily transits
12th
What the data say · 27 September 2026
An average of 50 ships a day crossed the Bosphorus in the week ending 27 September 2026, 45.4% less than in the same week of 2025. That is 5.3% less than the average of the previous 28 days.
The estimated cargo capacity of those ships was 554,422 tonnes a day. The count covers cargo ships and tankers; it does not include ferries, fishing vessels or small craft.
It ranks 12th by daily transits among the 28 maritime chokepoints tracked by PortWatch; the first is Taiwan Strait, with 232 ships a day.
This is IMF PortWatch’s satellite estimate, based on AIS signals and with a lag of only a few days, not the passage’s official statistic: it shows the trend in near real time.
The highest point in the series was November 2025, at 101, and the lowest September 2026, at 52; the daily average over the last twelve months is 10.9% less than over the previous twelve.
Top 10 · Maritime chokepoints by daily transits (7-day average)
Daily transits through the Bosphorus, monthly average
Full table · 28 maritime chokepoints
| # | Maritime chokepoints | Transits/day (7-day avg) | YoY change | Est. capacity (t/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taiwan Strait | 232 | +5.6% | 6.41 M |
| 2 | Strait of Malacca | 218 | −7.4% | 8.14 M |
| 3 | Korea Strait | 209 | −7.9% | 3.34 M |
| 4 | Strait of Dover | 172 | −5.6% | 3.29 M |
| 5 | Bohai Strait | 157 | −11.6% | 5.47 M |
| 6 | Strait of Gibraltar | 133 | −4.2% | 3.4 M |
| 7 | Cape of Good Hope | 88 | −3.0% | 5.56 M |
| 8 | Luzon Strait | 87 | +8.9% | 5.47 M |
| 9 | Makassar Strait | 56 | +24.8% | 3.31 M |
| 10 | Mindoro Strait | 52 | +66.8% | 3.08 M |
| 11 | Tsugaru Strait | 51 | −7.0% | 1.27 M |
| 12 | Bosphorus | 50 | −45.4% | 554,422 |
| 13 | Yucatán Channel | 49 | −2.5% | 1.29 M |
| 14 | Suez Canal | 40 | −5.4% | 1.53 M |
| 15 | Lombok Strait | 36 | +5.0% | 2.57 M |
| 16 | Øresund | 35 | −24.3% | 123,057 |
| 17 | Sunda Strait | 34 | +4.4% | 1.31 M |
| 18 | Bab el-Mandeb | 27 | −17.4% | 1.1 M |
| 19 | Panama Canal | 27 | −14.9% | 787,348 |
| 20 | Windward Passage | 14 | −21.8% | 227,799 |
| 21 | Mona Passage | 13 | +34.8% | 441,143 |
| 22 | Ombai Strait | 12 | −1.2% | 1.4 M |
| 23 | Torres Strait | 9 | −3.0% | 173,447 |
| 24 | Balabac Strait | 9 | −16.2% | 207,044 |
| 25 | Strait of Magellan | 5 | +31.0% | 203,640 |
| 26 | Bering Strait | 4 | 0.0% | 64,082 |
| 27 | Strait of Hormuz | 3 | −95.5% | 52,376 |
| 28 | Kerch Strait | 0 | −100.0% | 0 |
What this indicator measures
Every day, IMF PortWatch uses AIS signals to count the cargo ships and tankers that pass through the Bosphorus and estimates the cargo capacity they carry. It is not the official statistic of the passage’s authority but a satellite-based estimate with a lag of only a few days. This page shows the seven-day average, its comparison with the same week a year earlier and the month-by-month trend.
Context
The Bosphorus runs through Istanbul and, together with the Dardanelles, is the only exit from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Grain from Ukraine, Russia and Romania and crude oil and petroleum products from the Black Sea pass through it. The war in Ukraine has disrupted those flows since 2022, and the passage is narrow and winding, with regulated traffic.
Frequently asked questions
How many ships pass through the Bosphorus each day?
50 transits a day in the week ending 27 September 2026, 45.4% less than in the same week of the previous year.
Where does it rank among the world’s maritime chokepoints?
It ranks 12th by daily transits among the 28 maritime chokepoints tracked by PortWatch; the first is Taiwan Strait, with 232 ships a day.
When is this data updated?
IMF PortWatch publishes the data daily. Latest data available: 27 September 2026.
Source
IMF PortWatch. To explore the data in detail, use Maritime Radar · chokepoints or see the original source.