Although there has been a drop in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, seafarers still face “significant risks,” the International Maritime Bureau warned in a report about piracy and armed robbery against ships.
The report covered the first six months of 2025 and pointed to the Singapore Strait as the world’s current piracy and armed robbery hot spot, with 57 incidents. That’s up from 15 incidents for the same period in 2024. The 98-nautical-mile strait between the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca accounted for more than 60% of all globally reported incidents, according to the bureau.
Worldwide, 90 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported in the first half of 2025, a 50% increase compared to the same period in 2024 and the highest number of reported incidents for corresponding periods since 2020. Pirates boarded 79 vessels, including four hijackings, attempted six other attacks and fired on one vessel. As far as ships’ crew members were concerned, 40 were taken hostage, 16 kidnapped, five threatened, three assaulted and the same number injured.
The Gulf of Guinea remains an area for extreme caution. Twelve incidents and 87% of all kidnappings were reported in the Gulf of Guinea between January and June 2025. The bureau said strong cooperation from West African authorities and international navies in the Gulf was essential in improving maritime security.
“Incidents in the Gulf of Guinea continue to remain at low levels with regional authorities commended for their efforts and encouraged to sustain them,” the bureau said. “Twelve incidents were reported, compared to 10 and 14 in the same period over the past two years. While this trend is worth aspiring to, crew safety and well-being are not yet guaranteed.”
The bureau said positive action taken by international navies in the Gulf of Aden, and off the eastern/southern Somali coast, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and other areas, including preemptive and disruptive counterpiracy tactics, had reduced the number of attacks.