Arctic maritime traffic sets 2025 record

Arctic shipping activity reached a new high in 2025, citing data from the Arctic Council’s PAME working group. A total of 1,812 unique vessels operated within the Polar Code area – a 40% increase compared with 2013, when systematic tracking began, reports The Maritime Telegraph .

 

Sailing distance expanded even more sharply. Vessels covered 11.9 million nautical miles, up 95% from 6.1 million in 2013. The data indicate not only higher vessel numbers but also more repeat voyages, especially along Russia’s Arctic coast and within industrial supply chains.

 

Traffic remains seasonal, peaking between August and October as sea ice retreats. In September 2025 alone, 1,060 vessels entered Arctic waters, accounting for 58% of total annual traffic.

 

Fishing vessels continue to lead in volume, mainly entering from the Bering and Barents Seas. General cargo ships rank second, supporting remote communities and large-scale energy developments such as Vostok Oil and Arctic LNG 2.

 

Crude oil tankers show the fastest long-term growth, with numbers quadrupling over 12 years. Some reportedly operate without ice-class protection, raising environmental concerns.

 

LNG shipping has also expanded. Before late 2017, Russia’s Arctic waters recorded no LNG carrier activity. In 2025, 40 distinct LNG carriers operated in the region, many serving Yamal LNG, whose icebreaking fleet now transports gas year-round.

 

Despite overall record traffic, volumes along the Northern Sea Route have plateaued in recent years as Western sanctions complicate financing, insurance, and shipbuilding for Russian Arctic projects.

 

Picture: Wagenborg