Busiest Canals Transits Comparison (Ships/Year)
Compare the 10 busiest canals by yearly ship transits, from Kiel at 30,000 to Caledonian at 1,500 scale. Transits with canal authority reports and notes listed.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiel Canal Busiest artificial waterway by transits. | 30,000 ships per year | Germany, North Sea to Baltic, yearly transits | Kiel Canal authority reports: about 30,000 transits per year |
| Suez Canal 4,000 under Kiel. | 26,000 ships per year | Egypt, Red Sea to Mediterranean, yearly transits | Suez Authority reports 2024: about 26,000 transits per year |
| Houston Ship Channel Ranks above Panama; see notes on order. | 20,000 ships per year | Texas, USA, yearly vessel transits | Houston port reports: about 20,000 transits per year |
| Panama Canal Drought cuts lock slots. | 14,000 ships per year | Panama, Atlantic to Pacific, yearly transits | Panama Authority reports 2024: about 14,000 transits per year |
| Corinth Canal Narrow tourist waterway. | 11,000 ships per year | Greece, yearly transits, kept for scale | Corinth authority reports: about 11,000 transits per year |
| Manchester Ship Canal Industrial anchor. | 8,000 ships per year | England, yearly transits | Manchester reports: about 8,000 transits per year |
| St Lawrence Seaway Seasonal ice closure. | 4,000 ships per year | Canada and USA, yearly transits | Seaway reports: about 4,000 transits per year |
| Welland Canal Niagara bypass locks. | 3,000 ships per year | Ontario, Canada, yearly transits | Welland reports: about 3,000 transits per year |
| White Sea Canal Smallest row here. | 2,000 ships per year | Russia, yearly transits | Russian reports: White Sea Canal about 2,000 transits per year |
| Caledonian Canal Yacht heavy mix. | 1,500 ships per year | Scotland, yearly transits | Scottish Canals reports: Caledonian about 1,500 transits per year |
About this converter
Kiel moves about 30,000 ship transits a year, 4,000 clear of Suez at about 26,000. Houston Ship Channel at about 20,000, Panama at about 14,000, Corinth at about 11,000 for scale, Manchester at about 8,000, St Lawrence at about 4,000, Welland at about 3,000, White Sea at about 2,000 and Caledonian at about 1,500 follow. Transits count lock passages per year. Lengths rank on a separate ship canal page, so meters stay out here. Drought cuts Panama slots while Kiel runs steady year round.
How to use it
Pick two canals and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try Kiel against Caledonian to see the 20 times gap. The bars below use a log scale since max runs 20 times min, so small bars stay visible. Switch the unit to thousands for short figures. Ratios are exact divisions of the transit totals.
Houston Ship Channel at about 20,000 ranks above Panama at about 14,000 despite draft table quirks. About stays in rows since authorities revise yearly. Panama drought cuts 2024 slots below Suez. Corinth 11,000 is kept for scale as a narrow tourist cut. Figures follow canal authority yearly reports.
FAQ
What is the busiest canal?
Kiel at about 30,000 transits a year. Suez follows at about 26,000.
Is this the same as canal lengths?
No. Lengths rank elsewhere. This page keeps yearly transits only.
Why did Panama drop?
Drought cuts lock slots. 2024 ran about 14,000 transits.
Why list Corinth?
For scale at about 11,000. A narrow tourist waterway.
Sources
- Canal authority yearly transit reports: Kiel about 30,000; Suez about 26,000 2024; Houston about 20,000; Panama about 14,000 2024; Corinth about 11,000 scale; Manchester about 8,000; St Lawrence about 4,000; Welland about 3,000; White Sea about 2,000; Caledonian about 1,500 ships per year
Last verified: 2026-10-09 · 10 entries
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