Piracy Statistics

Black Pearl Maritime Security publishes regular summaries of reported piracy and armed-robbery incidents against ships. These summaries are intended to give owners, operators and masters a clear, evidence-based view of how the maritime threat is developing, so that risk can be understood in proportion and managed effectively rather than guessed at.

Our summaries are drawn from authoritative, recognised sources. Chief among these is the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, alongside the reporting of regional naval and maritime coordination bodies and other established industry channels. Combining these sources with our own operational insight allows us to present a rounded picture rather than relying on any single feed.

How the figures are compiled

Piracy and armed-robbery statistics are built up from individual reports of attacks, attempted attacks, boardings, hijackings and suspicious approaches submitted to reporting centres by vessels and authorities. These reports are categorised, verified where possible and aggregated by region and over time. It is worth understanding some important characteristics of this data:

Figures reflect reported incidents; under-reporting is a known feature of the data and means the true picture can be more active than the numbers alone suggest;
Definitions matter, as incidents within territorial waters (armed robbery) are treated separately from those on the high seas (piracy);
Trends over several reporting periods are usually more informative than any single month or quarter;
Comparisons between regions must account for differing traffic densities and reporting cultures.

For these reasons we present statistics in general, contextual terms and focus on direction of travel and relative risk, rather than treating any single headline number as the whole story.

Regional trends in general terms

The geography of maritime risk shifts over time. Historically the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden saw intense Somali-based piracy that was subsequently suppressed by combined naval, industry and armed-security measures, while the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa became a focus for kidnap-for-ransom activity. Other areas, including parts of South East Asia and the wider Red Sea and Arabian Gulf region, present their own distinct and evolving patterns. The essential point is that risk is dynamic: areas that are quiet can become active, and the measures that suppress a threat in one region do not necessarily transfer to another.

Turning data into route risk assessment

Statistics are only valuable when they inform a decision. We use compiled incident data, alongside the latest situational reporting, to support route risk assessment: identifying where along a planned passage the exposure is greatest, what tactics have recently been seen there, and which precautions, from routing and best management practice to an embarked armed team, are proportionate to the assessed threat.

Because every voyage is different, a generic regional figure is no substitute for an assessment built around your specific vessel, cargo, freeboard, speed, schedule and route. We are glad to translate the broader statistical picture into a tailored threat assessment for a particular transit.

For a route-specific threat assessment, or to discuss the current regional picture, please contact our team. We will work from the most authoritative data available and our own operational experience to give you a clear, practical view of the risk and the options for managing it.

Piracy Statistics