Singapore has been ranked the world’s leading container port under a new benchmark published by classification society DNV and business consultancy firm Menon Economics.
The Republic was followed by Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Busan, and Rotterdam in the independent evaluation of 160 ports.
The Port of Singapore, consisting of berths operated by PSA Singapore and Jurong Port, placed first on all of the benchmark’s main metrics.
Ports were evaluated on foundational elements like governance, investment, and institutional capacity.
The benchmark also considered connectivity and customer value, productivity, and sustainability. Finally, it evaluated a port’s overall impact, including economic contribution, market influence, and regional significance.
“Singapore emerges as the world’s leading container port, ranking first across all five pillars,” DNV and Menon Economics wrote in the inaugural edition of the “Leading Container Ports of the World” report published on 26 November.
The firms added that “the outcome is underpinned by world-class infrastructure, transparent governance, and efficient connectivity” supporting regional and global shipping routes.
The report noted that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore had made pioneering investments to establish green shipping corridors, reduce emissions, and help the industry transition to alternative fuels.
Tuas Port, which began operations in 2022, was also cited as being “central to Singapore’s strategy”.
The port reached a milestone of handling 10 million shipping containers, or twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), in February 2025. It is expected to handle 65 million TEUs every year as the world’s largest fully automated port when it is completed in the 2040s.
DNV and Menon Economics said: “Tuas Port was built with automation, artificial intelligence, and digitalisation at its core.
“Fully automated quay and yard cranes, driverless vehicles, and 5G-enabled systems enhanced efficiency, productivity, and safety.”
