Daily transits (7-day average)
3 transits a day
Estimated cargo capacity (7-day average)
52,376 tonnes a day
Against the 28-day average
-14.6%
Rank by daily transits
27th
What the data say · 27 September 2026
An average of 3 ships a day crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the week ending 27 September 2026, 95.5% less than in the same week of 2025. That is 14.6% less than the average of the previous 28 days.
The estimated cargo capacity of those ships was 52,376 tonnes a day. The count covers cargo ships and tankers; it does not include ferries, fishing vessels or small craft.
It ranks 27th 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 May 2025, at 92, and the lowest March 2026, at 3; the daily average over the last twelve months is 61.9% less than over the previous twelve.
Top 10 · Maritime chokepoints by daily transits (7-day average)
Daily transits through the Strait of Hormuz, 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 Strait of Hormuz 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 Strait of Hormuz is the exit from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and one of the world’s busiest passages for oil tankers and gas carriers: crude from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the Emirates and liquefied natural gas from Qatar leave through it. It has no alternative sea route, so any tension in the area is immediately reflected in energy prices.
Frequently asked questions
How many ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day?
3 transits a day in the week ending 27 September 2026, 95.5% less than in the same week of the previous year.
Where does it rank among the world’s maritime chokepoints?
It ranks 27th 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.