Pirate attacks - statistics & facts
Piracy has been around for as long as maritime trade. Although the technology pirates use has changed considerably since people first sailed the seas, the essence of piracy has remained the same to this day. Typically, pirates try to board the vessels under attack, steal money and valuables from the ship’s crew, or steal the ship’s cargo. In some cases, pirates take the crew hostage and demand ransom. To carry out attacks, pirates use a variety of weapons - ranging from firearms to knives – that are used to threaten and sometimes even kill seafarers. In 2024, no crew members were killed during pirate attacks and one was injured.
Pirates often operate in international waters, posing a challenge for governments to effectively combat it. Besides laws that outlaw piracy and punish convicted pirates, countries deploy armed ships to patrol important maritime chokepoints, guard private ships and if need be, fend off pirate ships.
Nowadays, most pirate attacks are committed in the Singapore Straits and off the coast of Indonesia. In 2024, 43 pirate attacks were carried out against ships in the Singapore Straits and 22 attacks against ships in the Indonesian waters. Although piracy can be carried out by people to secure livelihood, more often than not it is a way for militant groups and criminal gangs to raise money for their activities.
Pirates often operate in international waters, posing a challenge for governments to effectively combat it. Besides laws that outlaw piracy and punish convicted pirates, countries deploy armed ships to patrol important maritime chokepoints, guard private ships and if need be, fend off pirate ships.
Most pirate-infested waters
Piracy is an international phenomenon, not bound to any particular region. There are, however, factors that make piracy flourish in certain parts of the world. Poor coastal areas with few economic opportunities, low literacy rates, weak governments, and the rule of law, as well as easy access to weapons and proximity to busy shipping lanes give rise to more pirate activity than other areas. A prime example of such an area is Somalia, which was considered a piracy hotspot between the 1990s and 2010s. It was only after a concerted international effort led by the UN to combat Somali piracy that the number of piracy attacks off of the Somali coast dropped dramatically in the late 2010s.Nowadays, most pirate attacks are committed in the Singapore Straits and off the coast of Indonesia. In 2024, 43 pirate attacks were carried out against ships in the Singapore Straits and 22 attacks against ships in the Indonesian waters. Although piracy can be carried out by people to secure livelihood, more often than not it is a way for militant groups and criminal gangs to raise money for their activities.
