The Leading Maritime Cities of the World 2026

The Leading Maritime Cities (LMC) 2026 report, compiled by DNV and Menon Economics, benchmarks the world’s leading maritime cities to identify where maritime companies and professionals have the strongest environment to connect, operate and grow.

The report assesses cities across five pillars: Shipping, Maritime Finance and Law, Maritime Technology, Ports and Logistics, and Attractiveness and Competitiveness. Together, these provide a broad view of the capabilities and conditions that shape a city’s position in the global maritime industry.

Now in its seventh edition, the report has evolved from benchmarking where maritime activity is concentrated to assessing which cities are best positioned to combine maritime scale with the capacity to adapt to changing industry conditions. The 2026 edition introduces new and updated indicators, with greater emphasis on cities’ ability to respond to changing industry conditions, with new measures covering the energy transition as well as broader changes in technology, talent, and resilience.

Across the five pillars, there is no single model for maritime leadership. Cities compete from different positions, reflecting the roles they play in the global maritime industry. The strongest maritime cities bring together infrastructure, commercial decision-making, specialist services, technology and talent to create a connected and competitive maritime cluster.

Singapore, which has held first place since the first edition of the Leading Maritime Cities report in 2015, demonstrates this combination of strengths. It brings together large managed and owner-controlled fleets, a globally important port, strong liner connectivity, alternative fuel bunkering capabilities and a broad range of maritime services.

Download the report to explore the rankings, see how the leading maritime cities compare across the five pillars, and understand the factors shaping maritime competitiveness.