Key Points
- These 13 seaports are global trade giants by container throughput.
- The top ports are mostly in East & Southeast Asia, Europe & North America.
- Growth depends on volume, infrastructure, location, and connectivity.
Busiest Sea Ports in the World: With China’s Sea Ports in Asia being the busiest to Europe and North America, the top seaports handle tens of millions of TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). In addition, shaping shipping routes, supply chains, and economic powerhouses is also a major functionality of these major seaports.
Every year, global trade depends heavily on seaports that process billions of container units. These worksites of steel, cranes and shipping lanes are measured not only by volume but also by their efficiency, connectivity, and strategic importance. Let us learn through this article, where these 13 ports are located and what makes them so busy, and how they compare in recent container throughput.
(Credits: Marine Insight, The Yangshan Deep Water Port, Shanghai)
List of 13 Busiest Sea Ports in the World by TEU / Container Volume
In 2025, global port efficiency has come under strain due to surging rerouting around the Red Sea, delays at the Panama Canal, and cascading supply-chain shocks. As a result, even top ports are being tested. According to the World Bank, East Asian sea ports continue to dominate in container throughput and resilience. Below is a List of the 13 Busiest Sea Ports in the World by TEU / Container Volume. The ranking includes ports with the highest container throughput in recent years:
| Rank | Port | Country | Approx. TEU Volume / Recent Throughput* |
| 1 | Shanghai | China | 49-50 million |
| 2 | Singapore | Singapore | 39-40 million |
| 3 | Ningbo-Zhoushan | China | 35-36 million |
| 4 | Shenzhen | China | 29-30 million |
| 5 | Guangzhou | China | 25-26 million |
| 6 | Qingdao | China | 25-27 million |
| 7 | Busan | South Korea | 22-24 million |
| 8 | Tianjin | China | 21-22 million |
| 9 | Jebel Ali | UAE | 14-15 million |
| 10 | Port Klang | Malaysia | 14-15 million |
| 11 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | 13-14 million |
| 12 | Antwerp-Bruges | Belgium | 13-14 million |
| 13 | Los Angeles | USA | 10-11 million |
(Source Note: Figures are approximate and reflect the most recent published container throughput (TEUs) or estimates. They change year to year. Visual Capitalist estimates and India Sea Ports)
Why These Ports Rank So High?
They are major manufacturing/export hubs (e.g. China, South Korea), so outward container volume is huge. Apart from this, one of the major reasons why these ports are the busiest is the excellent infrastructure and deep-water berths that allow large container ships. Moreover, transhipment is enabled due to strategic geographic locations on trade routes (e.g., Singapore, Jebel Ali). In addition, continuous investment, expansion & efficiency improvements (such as automation and intermodal links) lead to the success of these major seaports.
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