Piracy attacks at sea fall to 51 in nine months, a three-decade low
The International Chamber of Commerce counted 51 attacks and attempted attacks on ships in the first nine months of 2026, less than half the figure for the same period a year earlier. Military strikes on merchant shipping are increasing in the Gulf, the Red Sea and the Black Sea.
A three-decade low in attacks
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) counted 51 attacks and attempted attacks on ships across the world's oceans in the first nine months of 2026. The count comes from a reporting centre that belongs to the chamber and is based in London. That is less than half the figure for the same period a year earlier, and the ICC calls it the lowest level in three decades. The chamber publishes these statistics regularly, and this release covers only the first nine months of the year, so it does not give a full-year total.
Why the count fell
The reporting centre attributes the decline to tighter controls and investigative successes by authorities. Last year Indonesian authorities arrested two groups held responsible for attacks in the Singapore Strait. Incidents in that waterway, which the report describes as quite dangerous, declined afterwards. Oliver Wieck, secretary general of ICC Germany, called the drop a 'positive signal'. He cautioned that it should not obscure the continuing danger to seafarers and ships.
Four German-linked ships
Four of the 51 ships attacked had a link to Germany, according to the statistics. That link could mean the vessels belong to German shipowners or are managed by a German company. The report does not name the ships. Germany's merchant fleet numbers roughly 1,700 vessels, which the German Shipowners' Association (Verband Deutscher Reeder) puts as the seventh largest in the world.
Military strikes on merchant ships rise
Piracy is falling, but military attacks on merchant ships are increasing, according to a growing number of reports. Iran has repeatedly attacked civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Iran war, and the US military also attacks civilian Iranian ships. In the Red Sea, the Houthis, who are allied with Iran, threaten shipping. Attacks on merchant ships have also increased in the Black Sea, where drones were used in several cases.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) warned that the Black Sea is becoming more and more a theatre of war. He described the situation as Russian aggression.