Chokepoint monitor
Is the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait open?
Yes
24 ships crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb on Nov 8, 2026. Normal is about 27 a day.
New counts are published weekly
Trade the weekly count
195+ ships through the Bab-el-Mandeb (Nov 9 – Nov 15)?About this map
- Tanker
- Cargo ship
- Passenger ship
- Fishing boat
- Other ship
Ships whose transponder was picked up in the last 30 minutes. This is not a transit count: ships with the transponder off or out of range don’t appear.
Key numbers
- Transits a day
- 26.3
- Average, 7 days to Nov 8, 2026
- Share of normal
- 97%
- Normal is 27 a day
- Week on week
- -4%
- Vs the previous 7 days
Traffic
Ships counted each day, compared with normal.
Conditions
Ships counted on Nov 8, 2026: 24. Range over 400 days: 13 to 55 a day. Last 7 days vs the 7 before: -4%.
Ships counted a day
| Date | Transits |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-10 | 22 |
| 2026-10-11 | 31 |
| 2026-10-12 | 34 |
| 2026-10-13 | 17 |
| 2026-10-14 | 24 |
| 2026-10-15 | 24 |
| 2026-10-16 | 25 |
| 2026-10-17 | 29 |
| 2026-10-18 | 32 |
| 2026-10-19 | 36 |
| 2026-10-20 | 33 |
| 2026-10-21 | 21 |
| 2026-10-22 | 23 |
| 2026-10-23 | 32 |
| 2026-10-24 | 21 |
| 2026-10-25 | 36 |
| 2026-10-26 | 29 |
| 2026-10-27 | 27 |
| 2026-10-28 | 19 |
| 2026-10-29 | 22 |
| 2026-10-30 | 26 |
| 2026-10-31 | 38 |
| 2026-11-01 | 30 |
| 2026-11-02 | 30 |
| 2026-11-03 | 25 |
| 2026-11-04 | 27 |
| 2026-11-05 | 34 |
| 2026-11-06 | 25 |
| 2026-11-07 | 19 |
| 2026-11-08 | 24 |
Daily transits from 2025-10-05 to 2026-11-08: 13 to 55 a day.
Geography
- Narrowest width
- 14km
- Open water at the tightest point
- Corridor
- 76km
- Length
- Counted at
- 12°47′N 43°21′E
We measure these distances from the coastline, so they can differ from an atlas. Narrowest width is the widest lane that fits along the whole corridor, so it's smaller than the headland-to-headland width.
Markets
Markets on the weekly ship count.
Open markets
Chance is based on the current price. It may not match a completed trade.
- 195+ ships through the Bab-el-Mandeb (Nov 9 – Nov 15)?
Closes Nov 15, 2026, 11:59 PM
Chance49%Yes - 188+ ships through the Bab-el-Mandeb (Nov 16 – Nov 22)?
Closes Nov 22, 2026, 11:59 PM
Chance51%Yes
The weekly count can come out after trading closes. Each market settles on its fixed rules.
Events
News and incidents.
Questions and answers
- Is the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait open?
- Yes. 24 ships crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb on Nov 8, 2026. Normal is about 27 a day.
- How many ships cross the Bab-el-Mandeb each day?
- 24 ships on Nov 8, 2026, the latest day counted. The 7-day average is 26.3 a day.
- How does traffic at the Bab-el-Mandeb compare with normal?
- The last 7 days averaged 26.3 ships a day, 97% of the normal 27. That's -4% vs the 7 days before.
- When were these figures last updated?
- The latest count is for Nov 8, 2026. New counts are published once a week, a couple of days after each week ends, so the latest day can be up to ten days old.
- What does the market say about the Bab-el-Mandeb?
- “195+ ships through the Bab-el-Mandeb (Nov 9 – Nov 15)?” Yes is at 49¢, a 49% chance. Trading closes Nov 15, 2026, 11:59 PM UTC.