Public record · Statistics
Hormuz shipping statistics 2026
Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz averaged 4.9 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, down from 21.6 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This page compiles the primary-source figures for Hormuz, Iran’s oil exports and the Red Sea route. Each figure carries its publisher, date and link.
Last verified: 24 September 2026 (America/New_York)
Next planned check: EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook, next release 6 October 2026
Numbers on this page are copied from the linked primary source, in that source's unit and period.
We correct this URL when a primary source changes. This is not a vessel tracker and not a forecast.
Key figures
- Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz averaged 20.9 million barrels per day (b/d) in the first half of 2025, the equivalent of about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and one-quarter of global maritime traded oil. Source: EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 March 2026.
- Hormuz oil flows averaged 20.7 million b/d in 2024. Source: EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, Table 1, updated 3 March 2026.
- Hormuz oil flows were 21.6 million b/d in 4Q25, 14.9 million b/d in 1Q26 and 4.9 million b/d in 2Q26. EIA says AIS signal data for ships transiting the strait have been especially unreliable since the end of February 2026. Source: EIA, Global Energy Security Data, Table 2, 12 August 2026.
- 11.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of LNG, over 20% of global LNG trade, transited the Strait of Hormuz in the first half of 2025, primarily from Qatar. Source: EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 March 2026.
- LNG flows through Hormuz were 0.8 Bcf/d in 2Q26, after 10.5 Bcf/d in 4Q25 and 7.4 Bcf/d in 1Q26. Source: EIA, Global Energy Security Data, 12 August 2026.
- EIA estimates 89% of the crude oil and condensate that moved through Hormuz went to Asian markets in the first half of 2025; China, India, Japan and South Korea together took 74%. Source: EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 March 2026.
- The United States imported about 0.4 million b/d of crude oil and condensate through Hormuz in the first half of 2025, about 7% of U.S. crude oil and condensate imports and 2% of U.S. petroleum liquids consumption. Source: EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 March 2026.
- Saudi Aramco’s East-West pipeline and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi pipeline together could provide about 4.7 million b/d of capacity to bypass the strait. Source: EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 March 2026.
- Iran exported 1,576 thousand b/d (1.576 million b/d) of crude oil and condensate in 2025, on Vortexa estimates. Source: EIA, Report on Iranian Petroleum and Petroleum Products Exports, Table 2, June 2026.
- Of that, 1,567 thousand b/d went to China and 9 thousand b/d to destinations outside China in 2025. Source: EIA, Report on Iranian Petroleum and Petroleum Products Exports, Tables 3–4, June 2026.
- EIA estimates Iran’s crude oil and condensate export revenue at $48 billion (nominal) in 2025. The estimate excludes petroleum products and does not include discounts. Source: EIA, Report on Iranian Petroleum and Petroleum Products Exports, Table 1, June 2026.
- Oil flows through the Bab el-Mandeb were 8.1 million b/d in 2Q26, up from 5.4 million b/d in 4Q25. Source: EIA, Global Energy Security Data, Table 2, 12 August 2026.
- Oil exports out of Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea were down by about half in August 2026 from July, according to Vortexa estimates cited by EIA. Source: EIA, Short-Term Energy Outlook, 9 September 2026.
- More than 22 million people in Yemen will require humanitarian assistance and protection services in 2026, including 5.2 million internally displaced people; the 2026 plan requests US$2.16 billion. Source: UN OCHA, Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026, 18 March 2026.
What is this page?
This is a WatchfulEye public-record statistics page. It compiles figures published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s oil exports and the Red Sea route. WatchfulEye does not count vessels, estimate volumes or forecast flows on this page. Each number is copied from the linked source in that source’s unit and period, and the full source list is at the end. How we read sources is set out in our methodology.
How much oil went through the Strait of Hormuz before 2026?
Oil flows through the strait averaged 20.9 million b/d in the first half of 2025, after 20.7 million b/d in 2024, according to EIA.
| Period | Oil through Hormuz (million b/d) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 19.2 | EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, Table 1, updated 3 Mar 2026 |
| 2021 | 19.7 | same |
| 2022 | 21.9 | same |
| 2023 | 21.8 | same |
| 2024 | 20.7 | same |
| 1H25 | 20.9 | same |
| 1Q25 | 20.9 | EIA, Global Energy Security Data, Table 2, 12 Aug 2026 |
| 2Q25 | 21.0 | same |
| 3Q25 | 21.3 | same |
| 4Q25 | 21.6 | same |
Figures cover crude oil and petroleum liquids. The annual rows and the quarterly rows come from two separate EIA releases (March 2026 and August 2026).
How much oil went through Hormuz in 2026?
Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz were 14.9 million b/d in the first quarter of 2026 and 4.9 million b/d in the second quarter, according to EIA’s Global Energy Security Data of 12 August 2026. EIA cautions that AIS tracking data for the strait have been especially unreliable since the end of February 2026.
| Quarter | Total oil (million b/d) | Crude oil and condensate (million b/d) | Petroleum products (million b/d) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4Q25 | 21.6 | 15.9 | 5.7 |
| 1Q26 | 14.9 | 10.9 | 4.0 |
| 2Q26 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 1.1 |
Source: EIA, Global Energy Security Data, Tables 2 and 4, 12 August 2026.
EIA states on the same page: “Since the end of February 2026, AIS signal data for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz have become especially unreliable.” EIA adds that 2026 Hormuz tanker-tracking data are being revised frequently. EIA says its volumes are based on Vortexa data with additional EIA work, so the 2026 figures above may change.
EIA estimates that crude oil production shut-ins related to the Strait of Hormuz closure averaged 6.7 million b/d in August 2026, up from 5.0 million b/d in July (EIA, Short-Term Energy Outlook, 9 September 2026).
What share of world oil and LNG passes through Hormuz?
In the first half of 2025, Hormuz oil flows of 20.9 million b/d were the equivalent of about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and one-quarter of global maritime traded oil, according to EIA. Over 20% of global LNG trade, 11.4 Bcf/d, also transited the strait, primarily from Qatar.
| Quarter | LNG through Hormuz (Bcf/d) |
|---|---|
| 1Q25 | 11.7 |
| 2Q25 | 11.0 |
| 3Q25 | 10.9 |
| 4Q25 | 10.5 |
| 1Q26 | 7.4 |
| 2Q26 | 0.8 |
Source: EIA, Global Energy Security Data, 12 August 2026. The share figures come from EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 March 2026.
Where did Hormuz crude oil go?
EIA estimates that 89% of the crude oil and condensate moving through the Strait of Hormuz went to Asian markets in the first half of 2025.
| Measure (1H25) | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Share of Hormuz crude and condensate to Asia | 89% | EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 Mar 2026 |
| China, India, Japan and South Korea combined | 74% | same |
| U.S. crude and condensate imports via Hormuz | about 0.4 million b/d | same |
| Share of U.S. crude and condensate imports | about 7% | same |
| Share of U.S. petroleum liquids consumption | 2% | same |
What can bypass the Strait of Hormuz?
Saudi Aramco’s East-West crude oil pipeline and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi pipeline together could provide about 4.7 million b/d of capacity to bypass the strait, according to EIA.
- By 2027, the UAE plans to build another 1.5 million b/d pipeline around the strait, from the Jebel Dhanna export terminal to Fujairah (EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, updated 3 March 2026).
- Iran inaugurated the Goreh-Jask oil pipeline and the Jask export terminal on the Gulf of Oman with a single export cargo in 2021 and sent a few small loadings in late 2024 (same source).
- EIA describes exports from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea as a route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. In August 2026, exports out of Yanbu were down by about half from July, according to Vortexa estimates cited by EIA. EIA attributes the drop to attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil exports through the Bab el-Mandeb (EIA, Short-Term Energy Outlook, 9 September 2026).
How much oil does Iran export, and to whom?
Iran exported 1,576 thousand b/d of crude oil and condensate in 2025, of which 1,567 thousand b/d went to China, according to Vortexa estimates published by EIA in June 2026.
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude oil and condensate exports (thousand b/d) | 1,445 | 1,576 | EIA SHIP Act report, Table 2, Jun 2026 (Vortexa estimate) |
| Exports to China (thousand b/d) | 1,384 | 1,567 | same, Table 3 |
| Exports outside China (thousand b/d) | 60 | 9 | same, Table 4 |
| Export revenue, crude and condensate (nominal $ billion) | $49 | $48 | same, Table 1 (EIA estimate) |
EIA notes that its revenue estimate covers only crude oil and condensate, not petroleum products, and does not include discounts. For volumes, EIA assesses that shipments listed to unknown destinations and to Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam since 2020 were likely destined for China.
In EIA’s September 2026 table of estimated Strait of Hormuz closure-related disruptions, Iran’s crude oil production was 3,390 thousand b/d in February 2026, and EIA estimated Iranian production shut-ins at 1,000 thousand b/d in August 2026 (EIA, Short-Term Energy Outlook, Table 1, 9 September 2026). These figures come from an EIA estimates table, not from reported Iranian production data.
What happened to Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb volumes?
Oil flows through the Bab el-Mandeb were 8.1 million b/d in the second quarter of 2026, up from 5.4 million b/d in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to EIA.
| Period | Bab el-Mandeb (million b/d) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9.3 | EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, Table 1, updated 3 Mar 2026 |
| 2024 | 4.1 | same |
| 1H25 | 4.2 | same |
| 1Q25 | 3.9 | EIA, Global Energy Security Data, Table 2, 12 Aug 2026 |
| 2Q25 | 4.5 | same |
| 3Q25 | 4.6 | same |
| 4Q25 | 5.4 | same |
| 1Q26 | 5.6 | same |
| 2Q26 | 8.1 | same |
Oil flows around the Cape of Good Hope were 9.3 million b/d in 2024, up from 6.2 million b/d in 2023, and 9.1 million b/d in the first half of 2025 (EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, Table 1, updated 3 March 2026). EIA lists the Cape of Good Hope separately from the chokepoints.
What do humanitarian agencies report for Yemen?
UN OCHA’s Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026, published 18 March 2026, says more than 22 million people will require humanitarian assistance and protection services across Yemen in 2026.
| Measure (2026 plan) | Figure |
|---|---|
| People requiring humanitarian assistance and protection | more than 22 million |
| of whom women and girls | 10.95 million |
| Internally displaced people | 5.2 million |
| Migrants | 329,000 |
| Refugees and asylum seekers | 63,000 |
| Funding requested | US$2.16 billion |
Source: UN OCHA, Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026, 18 March 2026. These are humanitarian-needs figures, not a count of shipping attacks.
What happened to oil prices and inventories?
The Brent crude oil spot price averaged $91 per barrel in August 2026, $7 per barrel higher than in July, according to EIA. EIA estimates that global oil inventories have decreased by 400 million barrels so far in 2026 (EIA, Short-Term Energy Outlook, 9 September 2026). These are market-context figures, not Hormuz flow statistics. EIA’s price forecasts are not reproduced on this page.
What this page does not claim
- It does not publish a WatchfulEye vessel count, voyage table or flow estimate.
- It does not forecast flows, prices or production. Where EIA figures are estimates, they are labeled as EIA estimates.
- It does not give a share of Iran’s exports loaded at Kharg Island; no primary source we checked states one.
- It does not treat 2026 tanker-tracking figures as final. EIA says they are being revised frequently.
Sources
| # | Publisher | Document | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Energy Information Administration | World Oil Transit Chokepoints | updated 3 March 2026 | eia.gov |
| 2 | U.S. Energy Information Administration | Global Energy Security Data (Short-Term Energy Outlook supplement) | 12 August 2026 | eia.gov |
| 3 | U.S. Energy Information Administration | Short-Term Energy Outlook, September 2026 | 9 September 2026 | eia.gov (PDF) |
| 4 | U.S. Energy Information Administration | Report on Iranian Petroleum and Petroleum Products Exports (SHIP Act) | June 2026 | eia.gov (PDF) |
| 5 | UN OCHA | Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 | 18 March 2026 | unocha.org |
Citation form: U.S. Energy Information Administration, “World Oil Transit Chokepoints,” updated 3 March 2026, https://www.eia.gov/international/content/analysis/special_topics/World_Oil_Transit_Chokepoints.
To cite this page: WatchfulEye, “Hormuz shipping statistics 2026,” last verified 24 September 2026, https://watchfuleye.us/record/hormuz-statistics-2026.
Related public record
The deadline expired. The tankers had already stopped.
They named Larak. They did not name a sweep.
They hit three tankers. One was near Kharg.
They hit five more. Oil near one hundred.
Corrections
Last updated 24 September 2026. If a figure on this page no longer matches its source, or a source has published a newer figure, we correct this URL. contact@watchfuleye.us.