Chokepoint · Southeast Asia
Strait of Malacca
OpenUpdated October 1, 2026
The Strait of Malacca is the sea passage between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra that joins the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. It is about 900 km long. At its southern end, near Singapore, the main channel is only 2.7 km wide. More oil passes through it than through any other chokepoint.
- Length
- About 900 km
- from the Andaman Sea to Singapore
- Narrowest channel
- 2.7 km
- the Phillip Channel, off Singapore
- Oil a day, Apr–Jun 2026
- 16.6 million
- barrels, 23.2 million in early 2025
- Cargo ships a day
- 220
- Last four weeks; 220 a day in 2023
- Shores
Malaysia
Indonesia
Singapore
Thailand
Where is the Strait of Malacca?
The Strait of Malacca runs about 900 km between the Malay Peninsula, most of which is Malaysia, and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The strait joins the Indian Ocean in the northwest to the South China Sea in the southeast. It is about 250 km wide at its northern end and narrows toward Singapore, where the Phillip Channel is about 2.7 km wide. The shallowest parts are about 25 meters deep, which limits the size of ships.
MALAYSIA
SUMATRA(INDONESIA) THAILAND Singapore George Town Port Klang Malacca Andaman Sea South China Sea Indian Ocean
MALAYSIA
SUMATRA(INDONESIA) Singapore George Town Port Klang Malacca Andaman Sea
How busy is the Strait of Malacca?
The Strait of Malacca is one of the busiest waterways in the world. In the four weeks to September 27, IMF PortWatch counted about 220 cargo ships and tankers a day, against 220 in 2023. Malaysia's Marine Department counted a record 102,525 ships in 2025, up from 94,301 in 2024. About $2.4 trillion in goods passed through in 2024, 21% of the world's maritime trade.
Since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, fewer tankers use Malacca. PortWatch counted 68 tankers a day in the four weeks to September 20, 2026, against 84 in 2023. The tankers carried about a third less. Piracy fell. ReCAAP, the regional anti-piracy agency, counted 21 incidents in January to June 2026, against 80 a year earlier.
Ships through the strait each day
Weekly average, January 2023 to September 2026
How much oil goes through the Strait of Malacca?
In the first half of 2025, about 23.2 million barrels of oil a day passed through the Strait of Malacca. That was the most of any chokepoint and 29% of all oil carried by sea. China took 48% of the crude oil. Much of it came from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran closed Hormuz on February 28, 2026. The flow through Malacca fell to 16.6 million barrels a day in April to June 2026, by the US Energy Information Administration's estimate. It was still the most of any chokepoint.
Oil through each chokepoint
Early 2025Apr–Jun 2026What is China's Malacca dilemma?
China's Malacca dilemma is its dependence on the Strait of Malacca for imported oil. In 2003, China's President Hu Jintao warned that "certain major powers" wanted to control the strait. In the first half of 2025, 7.9 million barrels a day of crude oil bound for China passed through the strait. In a war, a navy could block the strait and cut off most of that supply. China has built pipelines from Russia, Kazakhstan and Myanmar. They can carry about 1.5 million barrels a day, but in 2026 they carried about 1 million. The closure of Hormuz showed the risk. Ship-tracking firm Kpler found that China's seaborne crude imports fell from 11.41 million barrels a day before the war to 7.14 million in August 2026.
China's oil imports, by route
Can ships avoid the Strait of Malacca?
Yes, at a cost. Ships can sail through Indonesia's Sunda Strait or Lombok Strait instead, which adds roughly 1,000 to 1,500 nautical miles and three to five days. The largest tankers, too deep for the Strait of Malacca, already use Lombok.
Who controls the Strait of Malacca?
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore share the strait's waters. Thailand's coast is at its northern entrance. Ships have the right of transit passage under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The convention forbids charging ships a toll just for passing through.
In April 2026, Indonesia's finance minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, suggested charging ships to use the strait, then said he had been joking. Singapore's foreign minister called such a levy illegal. On August 25, 2026, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore said together that the strait stays "free, open and safe".
The strait over the years
- 1511Portuguese forces under Afonso de Albuquerque capture the port of Malacca.
- 1824The Anglo-Dutch Treaty gives Malacca to Britain, five years after Britain founds Singapore.
- 1914The German cruiser Emden enters Penang harbor with a fake fourth funnel and sinks a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer.
- 1942Singapore surrenders to Japan on February 15.
- 2003China's President Hu Jintao warns that 'certain major powers' want to control the strait.
- 2025A record 102,500 ships pass through the strait, and piracy incidents reach a 19-year high of 108.
Resources through the strait
Other chokepoints
All 10 chokepoints →
Disrupted
Strait of Hormuz
Tankers cross under US protection; Iran still attacks ships. 4 ships a day, against 92 in 2023.
Open
Taiwan Strait
Open, but China's coast guard patrols more often. 232 ships a day, against 240 in 2023.
Disrupted
Suez Canal
Traffic is recovering but still well below 2023. 40 ships a day, against 74 in 2023.