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Sea Port Codes & World Port Statistics by Country (2026)

Search 10,474 sea ports in 238 countries and territories — port codes, cities, sea routes and instant freight quotes. See how many ports every country has, ranked and sourced.

    Popular: ShanghaiSingaporeRotterdamLos AngelesLong BeachNew YorkHamburgJebel AliSantosDurban

    Browse Ports by Country See Global Statistics

    Global Port Statistics at a Glance

    10,474Ports indexed in the Ecer Freight databaseFirst-party data · Oct 2026
    238Countries & territories coveredISO 3166-1 grouping
    3,436Major seaports worldwideNGA World Port Index 2024
    114,000+UN/LOCODE trade & transport locationsUNECE, 2026 issuance

    Around 80% of global trade by volume moves by sea (UNCTAD). The three numbers above measure different things: our first-party index counts every catalogued port and terminal; the NGA World Port Index counts only major, navigationally significant seaports; UN/LOCODE counts all registered trade locations, including inland terminals. Use the lens that fits your question — all three are broken down by country below.

    Which country has the most seaports?

    By major seaports, the United States leads with 666, followed by Canada (284) and the United Kingdom (185) — NGA World Port Index 2024. Counting every indexed port and terminal (including river ports, ferry harbours and minor berths), Japan tops the Ecer Freight database with 1,330 entries, ahead of the United Kingdom (730) and Norway (616). By UN/LOCODE trade locations of all kinds, the United States again leads with roughly 1,952 sites.

    How many ports are there in the world?

    There is no single answer — it depends on the definition. The NGA World Port Index (2024) records 3,436 major seaports in 188 countries. UN/LOCODE (2026 issuance) lists 114,000+ trade and transport locations (ports plus inland terminals) in 249 countries. The Ecer Freight Ports Database indexes 10,474 sea and river ports across 238 countries and territories, each with a port code, city, coordinates and sea-route profile.

    What is the busiest port in the world?

    Shanghai, China (CNSHA) — 51.5 million TEU in 2024 (+4.8% year on year), the world's largest container port since 2010. Singapore ranks second with 41.1 million TEU. By cargo tonnage, China's Ningbo-Zhoushan is the world's largest, handling roughly 1.38 billion tonnes in 2024 — first globally for 16 consecutive years.

    Number of Ports by Country — Full Ranking (2026)

    How many sea ports does each country have? The table ranks all 238 countries and territories by the number of ports in the Ecer Freight database (10,474 entries in total). Counts include seaports, river ports, ferry harbours and major terminals; click any country to open its full port list with codes, cities and freight quotes. For the curated major-port view with regional analysis, see Ports by Country.

    Top 20 countries by number of indexed ports — Ecer Freight Ports Database, October 2026

    Rank Country / Territory Region Ports (bar = relative scale) Share
    1 JPJapan Asia 1,330 12.7%
    2 GBUnited Kingdom Europe 730 7.0%
    3 NONorway Europe 616 5.9%
    4 CNChina Asia 475 4.5%
    5 USUnited States North America 467 4.5%
    6 CACanada North America 375 3.6%
    7 ITItaly Europe 324 3.1%
    8 INIndia Asia 311 3.0%
    9 FRFrance Europe 261 2.5%
    10 GRGreece Europe 257 2.5%

    Complete list: ports in all 238 countries and territories

    All 238 countries and territories ranked by indexed port count — expand the table to browse the full ranking

    # Country / Territory Region Ports Share
    1 JPJapan Asia 1,330 12.70%
    2 GBUnited Kingdom Europe 730 6.97%
    3 NONorway Europe 616 5.88%
    4 CNChina Asia 475 4.54%
    5 USUnited States North America 467 4.46%
    6 CACanada North America 375 3.58%
    7 ITItaly Europe 324 3.09%
    8 INIndia Asia 311 2.97%
    9 FRFrance Europe 261 2.49%
    10 GRGreece Europe 257 2.45%

    Table scrolls vertically; rank order follows the Ecer Freight Ports Database (October 2026).

    Ports of the World by Region

    The 10,474 indexed ports distribute unevenly across the eight world regions. Europe and Asia together account for nearly 70% of all entries — a reflection of both coastline length and the density of ferry, short-sea and river traffic. Click a region to jump to its country-by-country port list.

    Indexed ports by world region — Ecer Freight Ports Database, October 2026

    Region Countries & territories Indexed ports Share Largest port country
    Asia 36 2,914 27.8% JPJapan
    Europe 49 4,234 40.4% GBUnited Kingdom
    North America 5 866 8.3% USUnited States
    Central America & Caribbean 35 506 4.8% MXMexico
    South America 14 646 6.2% BRBrazil
    Middle East 16 309 3.0% TRTurkey
    Africa 56 551 5.3% EGEgypt
    Oceania 27 448 4.3% AUAustralia

    Cross-Check: NGA World Port Index 2024

    Independent verification matters. The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency publishes the World Port Index, the standard navigational reference listing 3,436 major seaports in 188 countries. Its definition is stricter than ours — only ports of navigational significance with port functions and anchorage facilities are counted, so numbers are lower than first-party indexes that include minor harbours. The table below compares the two side by side.

    Top countries by major seaports — NGA World Port Index 2024 vs Ecer Freight Ports Database

    Rank Country NGA WPI major seaports Ecer indexed ports
    1 USUnited States 666 467
    2 CACanada 284 375
    3 GBUnited Kingdom 185 730
    4 JPJapan 163 1,330
    5 NONorway 141 616
    6 IDIndonesia 123 150
    7 ITItaly 123 324
    8 SESweden 92 242
    9 PHPhilippines 70 105
    10 DKDenmark 69 185

    Source: NGA World Port Index 2024 dataset (3,436 major seaports worldwide; latest dated WPI release), compiled via the Dataintelo Databook ranking. The two columns use different definitions — read them as complementary, not contradictory.

    World's Busiest Container Ports (2025 Full-Year)

    Port "size" can be measured in containers (TEU) or cargo tonnage — the ranking differs. By container throughput, Asian ports dominate: 8 of the top 10 are in Asia, and 6 of the top 10 are mainland Chinese. Shanghai has been the world's busiest container port every year since 2010.

    World's top 15 container ports, 2025 full-year throughput — Alphaliner / Lloyd's List One Hundred Ports 2026

    Rank Port Country UN/LOCODE Throughput (M TEU) YoY
    1 Shanghai CNChina CNSHA 55.06 +6.9%
    2 Singapore SGSingapore SGSIN 44.66 +8.6%
    3 Ningbo-Zhoushan CNChina CNNGB 43.87 +11.6%
    4 Shenzhen CNChina CNSZX 35.41 +6.1%
    5 Qingdao CNChina CNQDG 32.89 +6.5%
    6 Guangzhou CNChina CNGZG 28.05 +6.2%
    7 Busan KRSouth Korea KRPUS 24.88 +2.0%
    8 Tianjin CNChina CNTSN 24.03 +3.2%
    9 Jebel Ali (Dubai) AEUnited Arab Emirates AEJEA 15.55 +0.1%
    10 Port Klang MYMalaysia MYPKG 15.14 +3.3%

    Port codes in this table are official UN/LOCODE identifiers. Throughput in million TEU; YoY = year-on-year change vs 2024. Ranks 11–15 shown for context; the full top-100 list is published annually by Alphaliner and Lloyd's List. First-half 2026 update: Ningbo-Zhoushan (22.9 M TEU, +8.8%) narrowly overtook Singapore (22.7 M TEU, +4.7%) for rank 2 — a first for any half-year period (Alphaliner, H1 2026).

    China Port Industry Snapshot 2025

    18.338 bn tCargo throughput (+4.2% YoY)MOT 2025 Bulletin
    354 M TEUContainer throughput (+6.8% YoY)MOT 2025 Bulletin
    22,346Productive berths (5,806 coastal / 16,540 inland)MOT 2025 Bulletin
    3,061Berths for vessels ≥10,000 tonnesMOT 2025 Bulletin

    No single country concentrates port capacity the way China does: its coastline hosts 7 of the world's top 10 container ports, and the Yangtze River delta alone handles more cargo than most continents' entire port systems. Browse all 475 indexed ports in China.

    Sea Port Codes: What They Are and How to Read Them

    What is a sea port code?

    A sea port code is a short identifier that pins a shipment to an exact port. The international standard is UN/LOCODE — five letters, maintained by the United Nations (UNECE/UN-CEFACT). Port codes appear on bills of lading, letters of credit, customs declarations, AIS ship-tracking feeds, container markings and every freight booking system, so a single wrong letter can misroute cargo or hold it in customs.

    CNSHA NLRTM USLGB SGSIN

    How to read a UN/LOCODE

    Structure: 2-letter ISO 3166 country code + 3-letter location code. Example — CN SHY: CN = China, SHY = Shanghai. US NYC = New York, United States; DE HAM = Hamburg, Germany. Each entry also carries function flags: 1 = port (as defined in ECE/TRADE/366), 2 = rail terminal, 3 = road terminal, 4 = airport, 5 = postal exchange office, 6 = multimodal, 7 = fixed transport (pipeline/pumping station).

    Types of port codes

    1. UN/LOCODE — the international standard above; the current 2026 issuance lists 114,000+ locations in 249 countries. 2. National port codes — domestic systems such as China's MOT port codes for internal waterway transport or USACE port codes for Army Corps of Engineers reporting. 3. Commercial terminal codes — carrier and terminal-operator codes used in booking systems (e.g. Shanghai's Waigaoqiao and Yangshan terminals have distinct terminal codes under the CNSHA umbrella).

    Types of seaports

    By water: sea/coastal ports, river ports (e.g. Hamburg on the Elbe), inland dry ports. By cargo: container ports (Singapore), dry bulk (Port Hedland — iron ore), liquid bulk/tankers (Ras Tanura), Ro-Ro vehicle terminals (Zeebrugge), LNG/LPG, cruise and fishing ports. By role: gateway/load-centre ports serving hinterlands (Rotterdam), transshipment hubs (Tanjung Pelepas), and feeder ports connecting smaller regions to the main lines.

    A short history of UN/LOCODE

    UN/LOCODE was developed by the UN Economic Commission for Europe in the 1970s to standardise the location identifiers that had proliferated with containerisation. Maintenance moved to UN/CEFACT, which now publishes annual editions covering 249 countries and 114,000+ trade and transport locations — ports, airports, rail and road terminals and postal sites.

    How to search ports on this site

    Pick a country in the selector above, or type a port name, city or code into the search box — "rotterdam", "long beach" and "CNSHA" all work. Every result shows the port code, city, country, sea route, type and coordinates, with instant ocean-freight quotes from major origins. Prefer browsing? Open the country-by-country port list or any of the 238 country ranking tables on this page.

    Methodology & Sources

    How we count. A "port" in the Ecer Freight database is any catalogued maritime or inland-waterway facility with coordinates in our system: seaports, river ports, ferry harbours, lagoons and major terminals, grouped by ISO 3166-1 country or territory. That is deliberately broader than "major seaport" lists, which is why our per-country numbers exceed the NGA World Port Index. External figures are always labelled with their source and edition; we never mix definitions inside one table column.

    Sources (retrieved and verified {UPDATED}):

    1. Ecer Freight Ports Database (first-party) — Index of 10,474 sea ports, river ports and terminals across 238 countries and territories, compiled from port authority registries, nautical references and AIS data; reviewed quarterly. http://en-test.56ok.com/port.html
    2. U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) — World Port Index 2024 — 3,436 major seaports in 188 countries; the standard reference for navigable major ports. msi.nga.mil/Publications/WPI
    3. UNECE — UN/LOCODE (2026 issuance) — United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations: 114,000+ locations in 249 countries. unece.org/trade/cefact/unlocode-code-list
    4. Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China — 2025 Statistical Bulletin on Port Industry Development — cargo throughput 18.338 billion tonnes (+4.2%), containers 354 million TEU (+6.8%), 22,346 productive berths. www.mot.gov.cn/

    Third-party marks belong to their owners; NGA WPI and UN/LOCODE data are public-domain or openly licensed references reproduced here with attribution for comparison purposes.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How many seaports are there in the world?

    It depends on the definition. The NGA World Port Index (2024) records 3,436 major seaports across 188 countries. UN/LOCODE (2026 issuance) contains 114,000+ trade and transport locations (including inland sites) in 249 countries. The Ecer Freight Ports Database indexes 10,474 sea ports, river ports and ferry harbours in 238 countries and territories.

    Which country has the most seaports?

    By major seaports (NGA World Port Index 2024): the United States, with 666 — followed by Canada (284), the United Kingdom (185), Japan (163) and Norway (141). Counting every indexed port, terminal and minor harbour, Japan leads the Ecer Freight database with 1,330 entries, then the United Kingdom (730), Norway (616), China (475) and the United States (467).

    What is the busiest port in the world?

    Shanghai, China (CNSHA) — 51.5 million TEU in 2024, up 4.8% year on year, and the world's largest container port since 2010. Singapore is second with 41.1 million TEU. By cargo tonnage the leader is Ningbo-Zhoushan, China, with roughly 1.38 billion tonnes in 2024 — its 16th consecutive year at number one.

    What is a port code (UN/LOCODE)?

    A five-letter location identifier: a 2-letter ISO country code plus a 3-letter location code — CNSHA for Shanghai, NLRTM for Rotterdam, USLGB for Long Beach. UN/LOCODE is maintained by UNECE/UN-CEFACT and is used on bills of lading, letters of credit, customs filings, AIS feeds and booking systems worldwide.

    How many ports does China have?

    The Ecer Freight database indexes 475 Chinese ports and terminals. The Ministry of Transport's 2025 bulletin reports 22,346 productive berths (5,806 coastal, 16,540 inland waterway), 3,061 of them for vessels of 10,000 tonnes or more. In 2025 Chinese ports handled 18.338 billion tonnes of cargo (+4.2%) and 354 million TEU (+6.8%).

    Why do different 'number of ports by country' rankings disagree?

    Because they measure different things. The NGA World Port Index counts only major, navigationally significant seaports (3,436 worldwide). Container-throughput rankings (TEU) measure box volume; cargo-tonnage rankings measure total weight handled; UN/LOCODE counts every registered trade location, including inland terminals. Always check which definition a ranking uses before comparing countries.

    How are the port counts on this page calculated?

    Every entry in the Ecer Freight Ports Database is a port, terminal or harbour with recorded coordinates, grouped by ISO 3166-1 country or territory as of October 2026. Counts include coastal and inland-waterway ports and ferry harbours. External comparisons (NGA WPI, UN/LOCODE, MOT) are shown in separate, labelled columns with their own definitions.

    Can I get a freight quote for any listed port?

    Yes. Open any country's port list (click a country name in the tables) and use the built-in quote tools — Ecer Freight provides FCL/LCL ocean freight, air and rail quotes from major origin ports. Searching a port code on this site returns the same quote entry.

    How often is this data updated?

    The ports database is reviewed quarterly and this page is refreshed whenever a new authoritative edition is released (NGA World Port Index, UN/LOCODE, MOT bulletins, Alphaliner top-100). Last update: October 20, 2026.

    About this data. Compiled and maintained by the Ecer Freight Logistics Research Team, practising international freight forwarders handling FCL and LCL ocean shipments, air freight and rail cargo worldwide. Port counts, codes and statistics on this page are cross-checked against the authoritative sources listed above and reviewed quarterly; the database was last verified on October 20, 2026.

    Spotted an error or a missing port? Use the search box above or contact Ecer Freight through the site contact page — corrections are typically published within one review cycle.

    Ecer Freight · Sea Port Codes & World Port Statistics · Data reviewed quarterly · Last updated October 20, 2026