Ranked: The 10 Busiest Ports in the World, by Cargo Traffic

By Dorothy Neufeld – Visual Capitalist

In 2024, nine of the world’s 10 busiest ports are located in Asia, underscoring the eastward shift in global trade flows.

Due to supply chain shifts and deeper integration, intraregional trade within Asia has grown significantly. In the 1990s, over 70% of Asian exports by value went beyond the region, with containers being shipped back mostly empty. By comparison, roughly 60% of exports in Asia are traded within the region today.