October 15, 2025
There was a slight increase in reported incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in the first nine months of 2025 with the highest recorded number since 1991 in the Singapore Straits, according to the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
Despite the rise, IMB and its Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) highlight a continued overall reduction in global incident levels, with no significant attacks recorded.
IMB reported 116 incidents for the period of January-September 2025, up from 79 in the same period last year, the highest reported nine-month figures since 2021.
The report reveals that 102 vessels were boarded, nine faced attempted boardings, four were hijacked and one was fired upon. In 91% of incidents, perpetrators successfully gained access to the vessel with most boarding incidents occurring at night.
The threat of violence against crew remains a concern, with weapons identified in 55% of reported incidents in the first nine months of 2025. Guns were visibly carried in 33% of cases - the highest level since 2017. During this period, 43 crew members were taken hostage, 16 kidnapped, seven threatened, three assaulted and three injured.
Source: International Chamber of Commerce - International Maritime Bureau