Maritime and shipping statistics information
Guide to maritime and shipping statistics including notes and definitions, quality information and supporting technical documents.
Maritime statistics overview
A summary of the maritime statistics collected and published by the Department for Transport (DfT).
Port freight statistics information
Port freight statistics are based on returns from port operators and shipping lines and agents. Further details for shipping lines, their agents and ports on completing statistical returns on maritime freight traffic through ports, as required the Statistical Returns (Carriage of Goods and Passengers by Sea) Regulations 1997, can be found on the maritime statistics directive page.
Port freight statistics: notes and definitions
Quarterly port freight background information
Port freight statistics: background quality report
Waterborne freight statistics information
Information on freight traffic carried on inland waters and around the coast of the United Kingdom, produced from a number of sources. Covers inland waters traffic, traffic carried around the UK coast, one-port traffic to and from offshore installations and sea dredging.
In 2007, an inventory giving details of the physical infrastructure of inland waterways which are used to carry freight was conducted. A summary report and a detailed inventory of individual waterways, wharves and inland waterway craft were produced.
Sea passenger statistics information
Sea passenger statistics: background quality report
Sea passenger statistics: notes and definitions
Shipping fleet statistics information
Shipping fleet statistics: notes and definitions
Seafarer statistics information
Seafarer statistics: technical note
Seafarer statistics: background quality report
Other documents
Editions of the previously produced Maritime Statistics compendium are available from archived publications. These were produced up until 2009.
In 2009 to 2010, DfT commissioned a survey of port authorities and port related businesses, looking at employment and the incidence of accidents. A summary and full report of the findings are available.
Updates to this page
-
Sea passenger and port freight statistics Background Quality Report and Notes and Definitions updated.
Update history
2026-02-25 09:30
Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2025 Background quality report and technical note updated and Shipping fleet statistics: 2025 Notes and definitions updated.
2025-07-30 09:30
Sea passenger and port freight statistics Background Quality Report and Notes and Definitions updated.
2024-08-13 09:30
Sea passenger background quality report and notes and definitions updated for the all routes report for the year 2023.
2024-07-17 09:30
Port freight background quality report and notes and definitions sections updated for the latest port freight annual release.
2024-03-06 09:30
Shipping fleet supporting information for notes and definitions and proposed index of tables updated.
2024-02-22 09:30
Background quality report and technical note URLs updated for the 2023 annual report.
2023-07-26 09:30
Sea passenger notes and definitions, background quality report updated for the 2022 all routes annual report.
2023-03-29 09:30
Supporting information on shipping notes and definitions and proposed table index added. Notes and definitions for shipping updated.
2023-02-28 09:30
Reference to the 2021 seafarers technical note, now updated for the year 2022.
2022-09-07 09:30
Quarterly port freight background information updated.
2022-07-27 09:30
Sea passenger notes and definitions and background quality report updated for the year 2021.
2022-02-22 09:30
Seafarers technical note updated for the latest Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry report.