The amount of oil spilled from oil tankers worldwide was approximately 10,000 metric tons in 2024. This was a notable increase compared to the previous year. In 2018, a total of 116,000 metric tons of oil was leaked from oil tanker incidents, the largest quantity leaked in 24 years. Most of the quantity leaked in 2018 was attributable to the incident involving the MT Sanchi in the East China Sea. Since the 1970s and 1980s, the average annual amount of oil spilled from tankers has decreased significantly.
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ITOPF. (January 28, 2025). Volume of oil leaked from tanker incidents worldwide 1970 to 2024 (in metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 09, 2026, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/268557/quantity-of-oil-spilt-from-tanker-incidents-since-1970/
ITOPF. "Volume of oil leaked from tanker incidents worldwide 1970 to 2024 (in metric tons)." Chart. January 28, 2025. Statista. Accessed May 09, 2026. https://www.statista.com/statistics/268557/quantity-of-oil-spilt-from-tanker-incidents-since-1970/
ITOPF. (2025). Volume of oil leaked from tanker incidents worldwide 1970 to 2024 (in metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 09, 2026. https://www.statista.com/statistics/268557/quantity-of-oil-spilt-from-tanker-incidents-since-1970/
ITOPF. "Volume of Oil Leaked from Tanker Incidents Worldwide 1970 to 2024 (in Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Jan 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/268557/quantity-of-oil-spilt-from-tanker-incidents-since-1970/
ITOPF, Volume of oil leaked from tanker incidents worldwide 1970 to 2024 (in metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/268557/quantity-of-oil-spilt-from-tanker-incidents-since-1970/ (last visited May 09, 2026)
Volume of oil leaked from tanker incidents worldwide 1970 to 2024 (in metric tons) [Graph], ITOPF, January 28, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/268557/quantity-of-oil-spilt-from-tanker-incidents-since-1970/
