The ICC International Maritime Bureau said on October 15 that global piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships fell to 51 in the first nine months of 2026, the lowest nine-month figure since 1992, even as a renewed wave of Somali piracy pushed the number of crew members threatened, injured or killed to its highest level in years.
The IMB’s quarterly Piracy Reporting Centre data showed incidents dropped from 116 in the same period of 2025 to 51 this year, a decline the bureau attributed to sustained international naval patrols and industry adherence to Best Management Practices. Despite the overall fall, the report flagged the waters off the Horn of Africa as the most dangerous for merchant shipping, with Somali pirates responsible for all eight hijackings recorded worldwide and 94 percent of crew members taken hostage.
Incident Totals Fall to Three-Decade Low
The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre recorded 51 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide between January and September 2026, compared with 116 incidents over the same period a year earlier, making it the lowest nine-month total since 1992. The bureau’s report, titled ICC-IMB Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships Report: January-September 2026, said the data points to continued declines in historically troubled waters such as the Singapore Strait.
Of the incidents reported this year, 36 vessels were boarded, eight were hijacked, four were fired upon and three attempted boardings were logged. In 86 percent of cases, perpetrators successfully gained access to vessels either at anchor or while under way, with the large majority of boardings occurring at night, underscoring persistent vulnerabilities even as overall numbers decline.
Crew Casualties Rise Despite Fewer Incidents
While total incidents dropped sharply, the human toll on seafarers increased. The IMB reported that 105 crew members were threatened, injured or killed in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 72 over the same period in 2025. Of those affected, 90 were taken hostage, six were injured, five were killed, three were threatened and one was assaulted, according to the bureau’s tally.
Weapons were identified in 53 percent of reported incidents this year, a figure the IMB highlighted as a sign that the nature of attacks, even as they grow less frequent, is becoming more violent. Somali pirates alone accounted for all eight hijackings worldwide and 94 percent of all crew taken hostage globally, with most hijacked vessels subsequently released and their crews reported safe.
IMB Urges Continued Vigilance
IMB Director Michael Howlett said that while incident levels are at their lowest in more than three decades, the recent uptick in Somali piracy activity is a reminder that the threat remains, and that strict adherence to Best Management Practices remains one of the most effective ways to deter hijacking attempts and protect crews. The bureau called for continued vigilance, timely reporting and regional cooperation to safeguard seafarers and the trade routes the global economy depends on.
The findings follow earlier IMB reports this year that recorded the lowest first-quarter and first-half piracy figures in more than three decades, pointing to a sustained downward trend interrupted by the Somali resurgence. Industry groups and flag states have pointed to the data as validation of continued investment in naval patrols and crew security training, even as shipowners operating off the Horn of Africa face renewed insurance and routing considerations.
Why it matters
The IMB’s findings illustrate a paradox for global shipping: overall piracy risk has fallen to its lowest level in more than 30 years, yet the concentration of violent hijackings off Somalia means crews transiting the Horn of Africa face heightened danger. The data will likely influence insurance premiums, naval deployment decisions and routing choices for shipowners operating in the Gulf of Aden and wider Indian Ocean. It also underscores that statistical declines in incident counts do not necessarily translate into reduced risk for individual seafarers in hotspot regions.
Source: The Maritime Executive
