Institutional research & analysis

Source: Statista

RESEARCH

InfographicMay 11, 2026

Conflict is Biggest Disruptor at Maritime Chokepoints

By Katharina Buchholz — Conflict disruptions are expected to affect the highest value of goods at maritime chokepoints globally, a study released in 2025 in Nature Communications has found. According to Verschuur and al., almost $200 billion in various goods are affected by chokepoint shipping disruptions every year and a lot of this is due to conflict. The Suez Canal in Egypt, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near Yemen and the Taiwan Strait are most vulnerable to this, followed by the Strait of Hormuz, the Bosporus in Istanbul, the Panama Canal, the Malacca Strait near Singapore, the Korea Strait and the Windward Passage in the Caribbean. The researchers estimate these disruptions cost the world economy more than $14 billion each year. Piracy and terrorism are also two major driver behind them. Piracy was affecting most goods in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as well as the Malacca Strait, which recently saw a resurgence of small-scale armed robbery of ships. Terrorism is due to affect most goods in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as well, where the Houthi rebels are active. In terms of natural disasters, the Panama Canal, deemed relatively safe in most other regards, is vulnerable to drought, while the Korea Strait and the Taiwan Strait can be affected by typhoons. An accidental blockage, like affected the Suez Canal in 2021, is rated as detrimental at the Panama Canal and even more so in the Bosporus, which as the busiest waterway in the world has seen many accidents and has been called "a disaster waiting to happen". This chart shows the expected average annual value of trade disrupted at maritime chokepoints due to different hazards. Can I integrate infographics into my blog or website?

Statista1 min read

InfographicMay 11, 2026

Straits of Malacca/Singapore Emerge as Asia's Piracy Hotspot

By Katharina Buchholz — The Straits of Malacca and Singapore have re-emerged as a piracy hotspot in Asia and the world in recent years, recording more than 100 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2025, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. The increase comes at a time when piracy in Africa has subsided and has only recently experienced a limited resurgence. Other than in Africa, Asian waters are known for a larger volume, but often less serious attacks on ships. According to ReCAAP, armed perpetrators operating in small groups most often enter ships at night trying to steal valuables like spare engine parts, transported goods or even crew's personal items and disappear quickly. In Africa, full-scale ship hijackings have historically been more common. Nevertheless, the recent rise in incidents is a real worry for ships, especially when traveling through narrow straits that make them vulnerable for assaults by small boats. The cooperation, however, also reports that a recent law enforcement crackdown has brought numbers down since the second half of 2025 and into 2026. Looking back, these crackdowns are not a new thing for Asian law enforcement. In 2016, piracy and armed robbery against ships was reduced by 58 percent across the region due to coordinated efforts by authorities around the Malacca Strait and campaigns in other countries too. In the 2000s and 2010s, the South China Sea and surrounding nations the Philippines and Indonesia had still seen more incidents over time than the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. But not only is the South China Sea experiencing an increase level of militarization, the more professional networks of hijackers and robbers were also successfully suppressed by the authorities there. While in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, lower-level criminals are also pursued, enforcement efforts resemble a game of Whac-A-Mole, where arrests happen, but new perpetrators driven by economic hardship continue to emerge quickly. This chart shows the number of incidents of piracy or armed robbery against ships, by Asian country/region.

Statista2 min read

InfographicMay 11, 2026

Job Growth Has Been Very Lopsided Over the Past Year

By Felix Richter — Despite swinging wildly between monthly job gains and job losses over the past 12 months, the U.S. labor market added 251,000 jobs since April 2025. That growth hasn’t come evenly distributed across industries, however, with gains heavily concentrated in a single sector: health care and social assistance. Accounting for more than 650,000 new jobs, the health care sector continues to offset widespread losses elsewhere, so much so that, without it, the overall economy would have shed roughly 400,000 jobs and we would be having a different conversation. As our chart shows, nine sectors, accounting for more than half of all jobs in the U.S. saw the number of payrolls decline over the past year. That includes manufacturing, finance and information as well as the government sector, which saw the biggest decline, shedding 250,000 jobs. These figures suggest that the labor market may not be as solid as the headline figures suggest. With high energy prices and AI-related automation looming, some sectors may instead continue to cut jobs rather than create new positions. This chart shows job growth in the United States, by industry. Can I integrate infographics into my blog or website? Yes, Statista allows the easy integration of many infographics on other websites. Simply copy the HTML code that is shown for the relevant statistic in order to integrate it. Our standard is 660 pixels, but you can customize how the statistic is displayed to suit your site by setting the width and the display size. Please note that the code must be integrated into the HTML code (not only the text) for WordPress pages and other CMS sites.

Statista1 min read

InfographicAugust 29, 2024

Where People Ride Local Trains

By Katharina Buchholz — More than half of people in European countries like the United Kingdom, Austria and the Netherlands are at least semi-frequent users of their local rail services. This is according to a survey by Statista Consumer Insights. The highest share of people saying that they had ridden local trains in the 12 months prior to the survey was detected in Switzerland at 68 percent. Local rail use was also high in Asian locations like Japan (56 percent), India (57 percent) and South Korea (48 percent) as well as in Australia (46 percent). Many of these places show a high degree of urbanization and transit development and some, like India, are known for their extensive rail networks. Around a third of people said they had used local trains in France, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. France is well-known for having good high-speed rail capabilities, but local rail use was not as widespread. In the U.S., only 16 percent of people had ridden local trains in the past 12 months, comparable with results in Thailand (24 percent) or Brazil (16 percent). Out of 53 countries, local train ridership was lowest in Colombia at just 9 percent. This chart shows the share of respondents in selected countries who used local train networks in the past 12 months (in percent). Can I integrate infographics into my blog or website? Yes, Statista allows the easy integration of many infographics on other websites. Simply copy the HTML code that is shown for the relevant statistic in order to integrate it. Our standard is 660 pixels, but you can customize how the statistic is displayed to suit your site by setting the width and the display size. Please note that the code must be integrated into the HTML code (not only the text) for WordPress pages and other CMS sites.

Statista1 min read

InfographicJune 24, 2021

The Best and Worst Countries for LGBTQ+ Travelers

By Anna Fleck — In order to help LGBTQ+ tourists travel safely, the German portal Spartacus started publishing the Gay Travel Index in 2012. In the 2026 edition, the ranking compared 217 countries and territories based on the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people in each location. According to the index, Iceland is considered the safest and most open place for LGBT+ travelers in 2026, having scored 14 points, followed by Malta and Spain in joint second place with 13 each, while Belgium, Canada, Germany and Portugal come in joint fourth with 12. Poland stands out for having significantly improved its ranking since 2025, rising from rank 118 to rank 59. This is in light of noticeable improvements in terms of trans rights, protection against state repression and in the social environment. Nepal also saw progressive changes, having risen 21 places from 53rd position to 32nd, following the introduction of self-ID procedures for trans people and growing social tolerance. At the other end of the spectrum come (in descending order) Afghanistan, the Republic of Chechnya in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Yemen, each with a score of -22 points or below, signaling that they are dangerous countries for LGBT+ travelers, where homosexuals are persecuted and killed. The United States dropped from 48th position in 2025 to 50th in 2026. The country remains deeply divided, with liberal states like Delaware, Rhode Island, and Michigan continuing to expand anti-discrimination protections and legal equality, as conservative states such as Idaho tighten their legislation.

Statista1 min read

InfographicMarch 8, 2018

Where Adoption is Illegal for LGBT+ Couples

By Anna Fleck — In many countries, it is still illegal for members of the LGBT+ community to adopt and foster children. The following map uses data from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World) to show where joint adoption and second-parent adoption are allowed, along with the countries where there are no laws allowing same-sex couples to adopt. A joint adoption is when a couple adopts a child who was not previously the legal child of either partner. A second-parent adoption, however, is when a partner, who is not biologically related to the child, adopts their partner's biological or adopted child. As the following chart shows, a more open stance on adoption rights can be seen across Western Europe and North America, where at least some form of adoption is permitted. While most of the region’s countries support both kinds of adoption, in San Marino, only second-parent adoption is allowed. Eastern Europe is far more restrictive. South America shows more of a mixed picture with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia all supporting the continent’s more progressive laws, as Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela deny them. In the case of Mexico, there is no federal law allowing for joint or second-parent adoption by same-sex couples. And while adoption would virtually be available in all states that recognise same-sex marriage, the lack of specific legislation creates legal uncertainty and often impedes the access to adoption rights by same-sex couples. Meanwhile, South Africa is the only country in Africa to support both kinds of laws, according to ILGA. This map reflects the ILGA’s latest data, which is from April, 2026. This chart shows the legal status of adoption by LGBT+ couples worldwide in 2026.

Statista1 min read