Bab el-Mandeb Strait: transits and disruption history

Name: Bab el-Mandeb Strait daily transits
Creator: World Freight Monitor

Bab el-Mandeb Strait averaged 27.1 vessel transits a day in the 28 days to 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026), compared with 28.5 in the previous 28 days (-4.8%). The archive records 2 disruptions here.

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Key facts

Type: strait
Bordering countries: Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea
Recorded events: 2
Curated lanes passing: 11
Data through: 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026)

Bab el-Mandeb Strait averaged 27.1 transits a day in the 28 days to 2026-09-13.

Disruption history

2 recorded events, newest first.

Events at Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Start	Event	Type	Status	Severity
2026-07-20	Houthi embargo on Saudi shipping and attacks at Bab el-Mandeb	Security incident	ongoing	3 Significant
2023-11-19	Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea divert traffic around Africa	Security incident	ongoing	5 Critical

Full event history for Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Transits, all vessel types

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, all vessel types, last 120 days, 2026-05-17 (17 May 2026) to 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026): values ranged from 14 transits per day on 2026-08-05 to 47 transits per day on 2026-06-04, with a mean of 32.5 transits per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-13, was 31 transits per day.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-09-15 (15 September 2026).

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, all vessel types, last 120 days (transits per day).
Date	transits per day
2026-05-17	34
2026-05-18	45
2026-05-19	45
2026-05-20	37
2026-05-21	35
2026-05-22	38
2026-05-23	42
2026-05-24	46
2026-05-25	37
2026-05-26	26
2026-05-27	40
2026-05-28	42
2026-05-29	30
2026-05-30	32
2026-05-31	33
2026-06-01	41
2026-06-02	38
2026-06-03	31
2026-06-04	47
2026-06-05	28
2026-06-06	41
2026-06-07	37
2026-06-08	31
2026-06-09	38
2026-06-10	32
2026-06-11	41
2026-06-12	41
2026-06-13	38
2026-06-14	33
2026-06-15	35
2026-06-16	25
2026-06-17	42
2026-06-18	41
2026-06-19	41
2026-06-20	39
2026-06-21	37
2026-06-22	30
2026-06-23	30
2026-06-24	37
2026-06-25	46
2026-06-26	36
2026-06-27	32
2026-06-28	37
2026-06-29	36
2026-06-30	38
2026-07-01	32
2026-07-02	39
2026-07-03	31
2026-07-04	31
2026-07-05	34
2026-07-06	29
2026-07-07	27
2026-07-08	32
2026-07-09	29
2026-07-10	27
2026-07-11	44
2026-07-12	41
2026-07-13	46
2026-07-14	46
2026-07-15	40
2026-07-16	33
2026-07-17	46
2026-07-18	40
2026-07-19	33
2026-07-20	35
2026-07-21	26
2026-07-22	31
2026-07-23	34
2026-07-24	30
2026-07-25	22
2026-07-26	20
2026-07-27	32
2026-07-28	33
2026-07-29	34
2026-07-30	38
2026-07-31	28
2026-08-01	20
2026-08-02	30
2026-08-03	17
2026-08-04	27
2026-08-05	14
2026-08-06	31
2026-08-07	30
2026-08-08	25
2026-08-09	34
2026-08-10	29
2026-08-11	25
2026-08-12	25
2026-08-13	20
2026-08-14	31
2026-08-15	40
2026-08-16	36
2026-08-17	29
2026-08-18	32
2026-08-19	33
2026-08-20	29
2026-08-21	21
2026-08-22	33
2026-08-23	29
2026-08-24	36
2026-08-25	25
2026-08-26	26
2026-08-27	21
2026-08-28	27
2026-08-29	20
2026-08-30	29
2026-08-31	24
2026-09-01	19
2026-09-02	38
2026-09-03	24
2026-09-04	32
2026-09-05	18
2026-09-06	23
2026-09-07	34
2026-09-08	22
2026-09-09	35
2026-09-10	27
2026-09-11	22
2026-09-12	20
2026-09-13	31

Transits, container ships

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, container ships, last 120 days, 2026-05-17 (17 May 2026) to 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026): values ranged from 1 transits per day on 2026-07-28 to 12 transits per day on 2026-05-19, with a mean of 5.3 transits per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-13, was 9 transits per day.

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, container ships, last 120 days (transits per day).
Date	transits per day
2026-05-17	4
2026-05-18	5
2026-05-19	12
2026-05-20	7
2026-05-21	5
2026-05-22	6
2026-05-23	4
2026-05-24	4
2026-05-25	4
2026-05-26	5
2026-05-27	11
2026-05-28	12
2026-05-29	6
2026-05-30	4
2026-05-31	2
2026-06-01	5
2026-06-02	9
2026-06-03	5
2026-06-04	8
2026-06-05	4
2026-06-06	6
2026-06-07	5
2026-06-08	7
2026-06-09	4
2026-06-10	4
2026-06-11	10
2026-06-12	6
2026-06-13	5
2026-06-14	7
2026-06-15	2
2026-06-16	4
2026-06-17	5
2026-06-18	9
2026-06-19	5
2026-06-20	8
2026-06-21	6
2026-06-22	6
2026-06-23	4
2026-06-24	6
2026-06-25	5
2026-06-26	4
2026-06-27	3
2026-06-28	3
2026-06-29	6
2026-06-30	5
2026-07-01	10
2026-07-02	3
2026-07-03	7
2026-07-04	5
2026-07-05	6
2026-07-06	2
2026-07-07	7
2026-07-08	4
2026-07-09	5
2026-07-10	3
2026-07-11	6
2026-07-12	7
2026-07-13	5
2026-07-14	9
2026-07-15	5
2026-07-16	2
2026-07-17	4
2026-07-18	6
2026-07-19	3
2026-07-20	6
2026-07-21	4
2026-07-22	9
2026-07-23	4
2026-07-24	6
2026-07-25	5
2026-07-26	4
2026-07-27	4
2026-07-28	1
2026-07-29	9
2026-07-30	7
2026-07-31	7
2026-08-01	1
2026-08-02	7
2026-08-03	3
2026-08-04	5
2026-08-05	1
2026-08-06	2
2026-08-07	5
2026-08-08	2
2026-08-09	10
2026-08-10	4
2026-08-11	6
2026-08-12	4
2026-08-13	2
2026-08-14	5
2026-08-15	9
2026-08-16	4
2026-08-17	6
2026-08-18	5
2026-08-19	6
2026-08-20	4
2026-08-21	3
2026-08-22	5
2026-08-23	7
2026-08-24	4
2026-08-25	6
2026-08-26	4
2026-08-27	5
2026-08-28	5
2026-08-29	2
2026-08-30	3
2026-08-31	5
2026-09-01	4
2026-09-02	8
2026-09-03	6
2026-09-04	4
2026-09-05	5
2026-09-06	3
2026-09-07	10
2026-09-08	5
2026-09-09	4
2026-09-10	5
2026-09-11	5
2026-09-12	3
2026-09-13	9

Transits, tankers

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, tankers, last 120 days, 2026-05-17 (17 May 2026) to 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026): values ranged from 2 transits per day on 2026-09-01 to 23 transits per day on 2026-05-24, with a mean of 11.3 transits per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-13, was 9 transits per day.

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, tankers, last 120 days (transits per day).
Date	transits per day
2026-05-17	10
2026-05-18	19
2026-05-19	15
2026-05-20	17
2026-05-21	17
2026-05-22	12
2026-05-23	13
2026-05-24	23
2026-05-25	15
2026-05-26	14
2026-05-27	12
2026-05-28	17
2026-05-29	13
2026-05-30	10
2026-05-31	13
2026-06-01	20
2026-06-02	10
2026-06-03	10
2026-06-04	16
2026-06-05	10
2026-06-06	17
2026-06-07	18
2026-06-08	10
2026-06-09	13
2026-06-10	15
2026-06-11	16
2026-06-12	15
2026-06-13	19
2026-06-14	8
2026-06-15	16
2026-06-16	12
2026-06-17	14
2026-06-18	14
2026-06-19	15
2026-06-20	21
2026-06-21	13
2026-06-22	12
2026-06-23	11
2026-06-24	12
2026-06-25	15
2026-06-26	16
2026-06-27	6
2026-06-28	14
2026-06-29	11
2026-06-30	14
2026-07-01	12
2026-07-02	11
2026-07-03	7
2026-07-04	15
2026-07-05	13
2026-07-06	13
2026-07-07	6
2026-07-08	10
2026-07-09	11
2026-07-10	11
2026-07-11	21
2026-07-12	14
2026-07-13	22
2026-07-14	14
2026-07-15	15
2026-07-16	10
2026-07-17	16
2026-07-18	11
2026-07-19	18
2026-07-20	12
2026-07-21	8
2026-07-22	7
2026-07-23	14
2026-07-24	7
2026-07-25	5
2026-07-26	6
2026-07-27	12
2026-07-28	13
2026-07-29	6
2026-07-30	14
2026-07-31	7
2026-08-01	5
2026-08-02	6
2026-08-03	5
2026-08-04	9
2026-08-05	4
2026-08-06	13
2026-08-07	13
2026-08-08	8
2026-08-09	9
2026-08-10	13
2026-08-11	6
2026-08-12	6
2026-08-13	7
2026-08-14	7
2026-08-15	10
2026-08-16	13
2026-08-17	5
2026-08-18	13
2026-08-19	12
2026-08-20	14
2026-08-21	7
2026-08-22	11
2026-08-23	6
2026-08-24	12
2026-08-25	10
2026-08-26	9
2026-08-27	4
2026-08-28	7
2026-08-29	8
2026-08-30	6
2026-08-31	5
2026-09-01	2
2026-09-02	18
2026-09-03	5
2026-09-04	11
2026-09-05	2
2026-09-06	6
2026-09-07	13
2026-09-08	7
2026-09-09	10
2026-09-10	7
2026-09-11	6
2026-09-12	5
2026-09-13	9

Transits, dry bulk carriers

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, dry bulk carriers, last 120 days, 2026-05-17 (17 May 2026) to 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026): values ranged from 4 transits per day on 2026-06-10 to 20 transits per day on 2026-07-02, with a mean of 10.0 transits per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-13, was 9 transits per day.

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transits, dry bulk carriers, last 120 days (transits per day).
Date	transits per day
2026-05-17	12
2026-05-18	13
2026-05-19	6
2026-05-20	9
2026-05-21	8
2026-05-22	14
2026-05-23	16
2026-05-24	12
2026-05-25	10
2026-05-26	6
2026-05-27	10
2026-05-28	8
2026-05-29	8
2026-05-30	14
2026-05-31	12
2026-06-01	10
2026-06-02	9
2026-06-03	12
2026-06-04	13
2026-06-05	9
2026-06-06	10
2026-06-07	8
2026-06-08	8
2026-06-09	17
2026-06-10	4
2026-06-11	11
2026-06-12	11
2026-06-13	11
2026-06-14	13
2026-06-15	12
2026-06-16	5
2026-06-17	14
2026-06-18	9
2026-06-19	10
2026-06-20	5
2026-06-21	7
2026-06-22	8
2026-06-23	10
2026-06-24	16
2026-06-25	19
2026-06-26	11
2026-06-27	10
2026-06-28	18
2026-06-29	12
2026-06-30	13
2026-07-01	7
2026-07-02	20
2026-07-03	12
2026-07-04	10
2026-07-05	11
2026-07-06	10
2026-07-07	6
2026-07-08	12
2026-07-09	7
2026-07-10	9
2026-07-11	13
2026-07-12	10
2026-07-13	12
2026-07-14	15
2026-07-15	16
2026-07-16	14
2026-07-17	12
2026-07-18	19
2026-07-19	9
2026-07-20	11
2026-07-21	9
2026-07-22	13
2026-07-23	7
2026-07-24	6
2026-07-25	9
2026-07-26	4
2026-07-27	10
2026-07-28	16
2026-07-29	10
2026-07-30	8
2026-07-31	9
2026-08-01	7
2026-08-02	10
2026-08-03	8
2026-08-04	7
2026-08-05	5
2026-08-06	8
2026-08-07	8
2026-08-08	10
2026-08-09	10
2026-08-10	9
2026-08-11	8
2026-08-12	9
2026-08-13	7
2026-08-14	15
2026-08-15	13
2026-08-16	12
2026-08-17	8
2026-08-18	8
2026-08-19	10
2026-08-20	7
2026-08-21	7
2026-08-22	15
2026-08-23	13
2026-08-24	10
2026-08-25	4
2026-08-26	8
2026-08-27	6
2026-08-28	12
2026-08-29	6
2026-08-30	11
2026-08-31	7
2026-09-01	9
2026-09-02	8
2026-09-03	7
2026-09-04	11
2026-09-05	5
2026-09-06	10
2026-09-07	9
2026-09-08	5
2026-09-09	13
2026-09-10	9
2026-09-11	5
2026-09-12	8
2026-09-13	9

Transit trade volume

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transit trade volume, last 120 days, 2026-05-17 (17 May 2026) to 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026): values ranged from 479,054 metric tons per day on 2026-09-05 to 2,360,155 metric tons per day on 2026-06-28, with a mean of 1,177,669.8 metric tons per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-13, was 918,133 metric tons per day.

Bab el-Mandeb Strait, transit trade volume, last 120 days (metric tons per day).
Date	metric tons per day
2026-05-17	987,441
2026-05-18	1,448,844
2026-05-19	1,169,144
2026-05-20	1,119,644
2026-05-21	1,306,208
2026-05-22	1,363,478
2026-05-23	1,330,174
2026-05-24	1,527,777
2026-05-25	1,803,214
2026-05-26	1,003,510
2026-05-27	1,268,470
2026-05-28	1,220,296
2026-05-29	1,560,840
2026-05-30	1,784,666
2026-05-31	945,247
2026-06-01	1,707,824
2026-06-02	1,314,814
2026-06-03	1,284,866
2026-06-04	1,514,986
2026-06-05	819,039
2026-06-06	1,584,761
2026-06-07	1,508,288
2026-06-08	771,645
2026-06-09	1,323,650
2026-06-10	1,412,017
2026-06-11	1,163,705
2026-06-12	1,798,151
2026-06-13	1,357,264
2026-06-14	1,243,123
2026-06-15	1,161,325
2026-06-16	622,071
2026-06-17	1,522,771
2026-06-18	1,676,000
2026-06-19	1,540,083
2026-06-20	2,010,302
2026-06-21	793,006
2026-06-22	1,514,967
2026-06-23	1,282,822
2026-06-24	1,725,489
2026-06-25	1,788,945
2026-06-26	1,394,475
2026-06-27	1,172,634
2026-06-28	2,360,155
2026-06-29	1,586,516
2026-06-30	1,485,765
2026-07-01	1,496,359
2026-07-02	1,783,132
2026-07-03	1,297,127
2026-07-04	1,026,788
2026-07-05	1,805,301
2026-07-06	1,426,053
2026-07-07	882,519
2026-07-08	1,525,961
2026-07-09	1,159,255
2026-07-10	1,541,982
2026-07-11	1,650,599
2026-07-12	1,366,176
2026-07-13	1,954,128
2026-07-14	1,564,038
2026-07-15	1,317,165
2026-07-16	1,189,533
2026-07-17	1,594,172
2026-07-18	1,845,862
2026-07-19	1,341,101
2026-07-20	1,469,920
2026-07-21	994,834
2026-07-22	1,155,436
2026-07-23	1,568,922
2026-07-24	1,016,622
2026-07-25	700,899
2026-07-26	814,080
2026-07-27	1,446,031
2026-07-28	1,179,765
2026-07-29	765,593
2026-07-30	734,770
2026-07-31	614,761
2026-08-01	626,072
2026-08-02	1,067,102
2026-08-03	588,450
2026-08-04	1,119,992
2026-08-05	479,625
2026-08-06	1,080,015
2026-08-07	891,777
2026-08-08	647,340
2026-08-09	1,026,734
2026-08-10	782,465
2026-08-11	676,619
2026-08-12	972,120
2026-08-13	553,186
2026-08-14	1,140,524
2026-08-15	1,066,055
2026-08-16	1,378,089
2026-08-17	754,030
2026-08-18	672,649
2026-08-19	905,976
2026-08-20	947,827
2026-08-21	635,516
2026-08-22	983,351
2026-08-23	1,117,466
2026-08-24	1,155,194
2026-08-25	907,715
2026-08-26	765,317
2026-08-27	685,258
2026-08-28	952,444
2026-08-29	641,277
2026-08-30	955,552
2026-08-31	616,646
2026-09-01	583,729
2026-09-02	1,877,300
2026-09-03	749,058
2026-09-04	939,446
2026-09-05	479,054
2026-09-06	772,334
2026-09-07	928,473
2026-09-08	1,079,450
2026-09-09	1,204,665
2026-09-10	811,308
2026-09-11	961,218
2026-09-12	714,526
2026-09-13	918,133

Oil and gas carried

Crude oil and petroleum liquids through Bab el-Mandeb, million barrels per day, and its share of world maritime oil trade
Period	Million barrels a day	Share of world maritime oil trade
2020	5.7	8%
2021	6.0	8%
2022	8.0	10%
2023	9.3	12%
2024	4.1	5%
1H25	4.2	5%

Source: US Energy Information Administration, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, last updated 3 March 2026. Terms.

Shares are computed by World Freight Monitor as each flow divided by EIA's world maritime oil trade for the same period. All chokepoints compared.

Lanes that pass here

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