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Strait of Malacca and Singapore: how much trade passes through (2024 estimate)

In 2024, an estimated $3 trillion of trade passed through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, 24.7% of seaborne trade. Compared with 2019, the estimate rose 27%. The countries that depend on it most are Liberia (83%), Botswana (74%) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (73%), by the share of their seaborne trade that crosses it.

Summary

Estimated value
$3trillion
Of seaborne trade
24.7%
Rank among the eleven chokepoints
1st

Trend of the estimated value

Estimated value per year

The estimated value through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore rose 27% between 2019 and 2024

Value in USD billions

  • Strait of Malacca and Singapore 3,025

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearEstimated valueOf seaborne trade
1995$465.3 billion17.1%
1996$508.8 billion17.5%
1997$528.6 billion17.5%
1998$477.1 billion16.5%
1999$506.9 billion16.9%
2000$593.8 billion18%
2001$579.4 billion17.9%
2002$609.9 billion17.6%
2003$736.4 billion18.4%
2004$925.5 billion18.9%
2005$1.1 trillion19.4%
2006$1.3 trillion20.1%
2007$1.6 trillion20.8%
2008$2 trillion22%
2009$1.5 trillion22.2%
2010$1.9 trillion23.1%
2011$2.4 trillion23.9%
2012$2.4 trillion24%
2013$2.5 trillion24.3%
2014$2.5 trillion24.4%
2015$2 trillion23.2%
2016$1.9 trillion22.9%
2017$2.2 trillion23.3%
2018$2.4 trillion23.7%
2019$2.4 trillion24%
2020$2.1 trillion24.1%
2021$2.8 trillion24.3%
2022$3.3 trillion24.5%
2023$3 trillion24.4%
2024$3 trillion24.7%

The routes carrying the most value through the chokepoint

Estimated sea routes from this site’s network; thickness follows value.

Countries that depend on it most

Share of their seaborne trade that crosses the chokepoint

  1. Liberia$18.5 billion · 82.9%
  2. Botswana$1 billion · 74.3%
  3. Democratic Republic of the Congo$27.3 billion · 73.2%
  4. Turkmenistan$10.8 billion · 71.6%
  5. Malaysia$244.6 billion · 64.7%
  6. Oman$51.9 billion · 59.7%
  7. Qatar$63.8 billion · 58.8%
  8. Zimbabwe$4.3 billion · 56.8%
  9. Myanmar$12.7 billion · 56.5%
  10. Republic of the Congo$7 billion · 55.7%
  11. United Arab Emirates$203.5 billion · 54.1%
  12. Iran$13.4 billion · 51.4%
  13. China$1.7 trillion · 50.9%
  14. Laos$986 million · 50.5%
  15. Ethiopia$3.6 billion · 49.2%
  16. Belarus$8 billion · 49.2%
  17. Niger$1.1 billion · 49%
  18. Kuwait$43 billion · 48.7%
  19. Iraq$70.4 billion · 48.6%
  20. Saudi Arabia$211.9 billion · 48.6%

The largest by value through it

  1. China$1.7 trillion · 50.9%
  2. South Korea$292.7 billion · 34.9%
  3. Japan$264.8 billion · 28.6%
  4. Malaysia$244.6 billion · 64.7%
  5. Germany$229.9 billion · 18.3%
  6. Saudi Arabia$211.9 billion · 48.6%
  7. United Arab Emirates$203.5 billion · 54.1%
  8. Brazil$201 billion · 39.6%
  9. Singapore$150.6 billion · 47.7%
  10. India$146.3 billion · 20.4%

What crosses it

The products with the highest estimated value in 2024, with their share of the total through the chokepoint.

  1. Crude petroleum$448.5 billion · 14.8%
  2. Refined petroleum$155.4 billion · 5.1%
  3. Cars$154.6 billion · 5.1%
  4. Natural gas and LPG$90.4 billion · 3%
  5. Auto parts$56.3 billion · 1.9%
  6. Batteries$42.5 billion · 1.4%
  7. Soybeans$38.5 billion · 1.3%
  8. Iron ore$38.5 billion · 1.3%
  9. Cargo and cruise ships$36.2 billion · 1.2%
  10. Computer and office machine parts$36 billion · 1.2%

If it closes

  • Brazil–China: +11 nautical miles, less than half a day more at 14 knots, via the Cape of Good Hope
  • China–Germany: +741 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Strait of Dover
  • China–Saudi Arabia: +747 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Hormuz
  • China–Malaysia: +1,626 nautical miles, ≈ 5 days more at 14 knots
  • United Arab Emirates–China: +747 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Hormuz
  • China–United Kingdom: +741 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar
  • China–France: +745 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal
  • China–Iraq: +747 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Hormuz
  • China–Netherlands: +741 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Strait of Dover
  • China–Poland: +742 nautical miles, ≈ 2 days more at 14 knots, via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Strait of Dover and the Øresund

Estimated sailing detour, without costs, waiting or port capacity.

Country pairs that cross it

Estimated value through the chokepoint and the share of each pair’s seaborne trade that crosses it.

  1. Brazil–China$163.5 billion · 100%
  2. China–Germany$155.7 billion · 100%
  3. China–Saudi Arabia$101.9 billion · 100%
  4. China–Malaysia$89 billion · 87%
  5. United Arab Emirates–China$88.2 billion · 100%
  6. China–United Kingdom$81.1 billion · 100%
  7. China–France$64.8 billion · 100%
  8. China–Iraq$53.9 billion · 100%
  9. China–Netherlands$49.2 billion · 100%
  10. China–Poland$46.4 billion · 100%

Compare with

The other chokepoints

Sources and method

Sources and licenses

Methodology

We estimate the value crossing each chokepoint from BACI trade that travels by sea according to our mode heuristic, split between each country’s ports by where its GDP is generated and which coast is closest, and routed over our own sea network. It is an estimate, not a count of ships. It covers 99.9% of seaborne trade; seaborne trade is 54% of world trade by value. The approach follows Verschuur, Lumma and Hall (Nature Communications, 2025). Data up to 2024.

All maritime chokepoints