Singapore has been ranked the top shipping centre in the world on the 2025 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCDI).
The ISCDI Report, published on 11 July 2025, gave the country a near-perfect score of 99.5 out of 100, meaning the Republic has taken top spot for the 12th consecutive year, or every year since the index’s inception.
Singapore’s success is attributed to its “strategic location, robust international outlook, and a well-established ecosystem of professional maritime services”.
Mr Ang Wee Keong, chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, said: “We thank our industry partners, the research and enterprise community and our unions, who have been instrumental in Singapore’s journey to become a leading international maritime centre and global hub port.”
Rounding out the top five were London (81.02), Shanghai (81.01), Hong Kong (80.77) and Dubai (75.97).
The index is a collaboration between China news agency Xinhua and maritime market data firm Baltic Exchange.
It evaluates a total of 43 maritime locations. Port metrics take 20 per cent of the ranking, including cargo throughput, crane count, container berth length, and port draught.
Business services account for half of the weighting, which assesses the presence of professional maritime support businesses, including ship broking, ship management, ship financing, insurance and legal services, alongside hull underwriting premiums.
The evaluation also considers general business environment factors as 30 per cent of the score, covering customs tariffs, the level of electronic government services, and overall logistics performance.
