Last updated: 23 October 2026

Most of the world’s biggest ports are in Asia, and Shanghai has been number one for over a decade. These ports handle tens of millions of containers every year, moving goods between factories and shops across the globe. Here are the largest ports in the world by container traffic.

Approximate figures from 2024 annual port statistics. Rankings from about 8th to 12th change from year to year, with Hong Kong, Xiamen and Rotterdam just outside the top ten. A TEU is one twenty-foot container.

The biggest ports in Europe

Read freighter travel from Antwerp and freighter travel from Hamburg.

The UK’s biggest container ports

• Felixstowe: the UK’s busiest container port, handling a large share of the country’s container trade
• Southampton: a major deep-sea container and cruise port
• London Gateway: a modern deep-water port on the Thames, growing fast
• Liverpool: the main west-coast container port. See port of Liverpool cargo travel.

Why are Asian ports so big?

1. Manufacturing: China is the world’s factory, and exports leave through its ports.
2. Transhipment: Singapore and Busan are hubs where containers switch between ships.
3. Investment: huge automated terminals and deep water for mega-ships.

Visit the world’s great ports as a passenger

Freighter passengers often call at Singapore, Shanghai, Rotterdam and Hamburg. Watching a mega-terminal at work from the deck of a ship is unforgettable. See cargo ship to China and cargo ship to Singapore.

More facts: biggest shipping companies in the world and how many containers fit on a ship.

Frequently asked questions