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Table 1-6World Open Registrya Trends, Oceangoing Self-Propelled Vessels of 1,000 Gross Tons and Over, 1990-2001 (Thousands of tons)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Table 1-6
World Open Registrya Trends, Oceangoing Self-Propelled Vessels of 1,000 Gross Tons and Over, 1990-2001 (Thousands of tons)

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 Flag of registry 1990 1999 2000 2001
Number of vessels dwt (thousands) Number of vessels dwt (thousands) Number of vessels dwt (thousands) Number of vessels dwt (thousands)
Panama 3,189 70,537 4,485 145,769 4,620 155,348 4,657 168,052
Liberia 1,409 88,275 1,644 97,232 1,608 89,949 1,498 78,703
Malta 293 6,257 1,312 39,311 1,448 45,282 1,395 45,841
Bahamas 530 19,719 1,042 40,944 1,037 43,169 1,023 45,099
Cyprus 1,054 29,729 1,431 36,059 1,365 35,956 1,307 36,224
Singapore 407 11,494 879 31,436 883 33,853 881 33,096
Norway (NIS) 587 28,800 655 30,373 660 29,731 659 28,186
Hong Kong - - 191 10,190 242 11,773 336 16,409
Marshall Islands - - 112 10,901 132 11,621 195 15,501
Saint Vincent - - 784 11,554 791 10,506 761 9,590
Isle of Man 81 3,150 149 6,756 145 6,690 152 8,248
Denmark (DIS) 199 6,288 309 6,654 315 6,701 325 7,727
Kerguelen 17 455 73 4,413 73 4,658 77 5,373
Netherlands 326 3,638 411 3,814 563 5,484 501 4,583
Vanuatu 73 1,611 83 1,809 79 1,670 56 1,305
Luxembourg 1 3 27 975 43 2,179 44 1,294
Gibraltar - - 16 512 24 698 42 882
Honduras - - 234 783 248 934 246 860
Sri Lanka 37 314 21 282 22 288 17 236
Mauritius 6 220 15 236 13 208 6 81
Total open registries 8,209 270,490 13,873 480,002 14,311 496,698 14,178 507,291
Percent of all registries 34.80% 42.40% 49.90% 63.50% 50.60% 64.50% 50.10% 65.30%
Total registries 23,596 637,493 27,825 755,435 28,259 769,794 28,318 776,767

KEY: - = not available.

aAn open registry is a type of registry offered by a country to foreign nationals or corporations that provides favorable tax, regulatory, and other incentives.

SOURCE: Lloyd's Maritime Information Services, Ship Particulars, computer file extract (London: Lloyd's Register, January 2001).

  • The number of vessels in the open registry fleet increased by 73 percent from 1990 to 2001. The world fleet grew by 20 percent during the same period.
  • The number of Liberian open-registry vessels dropped by nearly 7 percent between 2000 and 2001.
  • Panama and Liberia combined accounted for 43 percent of the open-registry fleet in 2001.