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Mapped: The World’s Oil Chokepoints
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Key Takeaways
- The Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Indonesia, is the world’s busiest oil chokepoint, carrying about 29.1% of global maritime oil trade.
- About one-fifth of global oil consumption flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Roughly 84% of crude oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz is destined for Asian markets.
Oil markets rely on a handful of narrow maritime passages to keep supply flowing. These oil supply chokepoints are critical arteries of the global energy system, moving tens of millions of barrels per day. This visualization maps the world’s most important oil transit chokepoints and their share of global maritime oil trade.
The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). It highlights the volume of crude and petroleum liquids that passed through key maritime chokepoints in the first half of 2025, measured in million barrels per day (mb/d), and their share of total world maritime oil trade.
In total, about 73 million barrels per day of oil moved through major maritime chokepoints, representing the majority of globally traded seaborne oil.
The Strait of Malacca: The Busiest Oil Corridor
The Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Indonesia, is the world’s busiest oil chokepoint. Roughly 23.2 million barrels per day flowed through this narrow channel in the first half of 2025, accounting for about 29.1% of global maritime oil trade.
| Location | 2025 H1 volume (mb/d) | % of World Maritime Oil Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Strait of Malacca | 23.2 | 29.1% |
| Strait of Hormuz | 20.9 | 26.2% |
| Cape of Good Hope | 9.1 | 11.4% |
| Danish Straits | 4.9 | 6.1% |
| Suez Canal & SUMED Pipeline | 4.9 | 6.1% |
| Bab el-Mandeb | 4.2 | 5.3% |
| Turkish Straits (Dardanelles) | 3.7 | 4.6% |
| Panama Canal | 2.3 | 2.9% |
The Strait of Malacca connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, making it a crucial route for oil shipments to China, Japan, and South Korea. Its narrow width and heavy traffic make it vulnerable to congestion and geopolitical tension.
The Strait of Hormuz: A Critical Energy Artery
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Oman and Iran, handled about 20.9 million barrels per day in the first half of 2025—roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is deep and wide enough to accommodate the world’s largest crude oil tankers.
Approximately 84% of crude oil moved through Hormuz is destined for Asian markets, including China, India, Japan, and South Korea. Because so much Gulf production depends on this route, any disruption can send shockwaves through global oil prices.
Other Key Chokepoints Across the Globe
Beyond Malacca and Hormuz, several other passages play important roles in global oil flows. The Suez Canal and SUMED Pipeline transported about 4.9 million barrels per day, linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. Nearby, the Bab el-Mandeb carried roughly 4.2 million barrels per day, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
In Europe, the Danish Straits and Turkish Straits serve as key gateways for Russian and Caspian oil exports, moving about 4.9 million and 3.7 million barrels per day, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Panama Canal handled roughly 2.3 million barrels per day, while longer alternative routes such as the Cape of Good Hope carried about 9.1 million barrels per day as tankers traveled between the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out All of the World’s Oil Reserves by Country, in One Visualization on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.