ARTICLE: The World's Top Ship Registries (Flag States)*

From the below table it is interesting to note that the world's top five ship registries account for over half of the world's registered deadweight tonnage. 

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RANK - REGISTRY - PERCENTAGE SHARE OF WORLD'S REGISTERED TONNAGE 

1.    PANAMA  -  22.63 %

2.    LIBERIA  -  11.14 %

3.    MARSHALL ISLANDS  -  6.10 %

4.    HONG KONG  -  5.84 %

5.    GREECE  -  5.30 %

6.    BAHAMAS  -  5.02 %

7.    SINGAPORE  -  4.83 %

8.    MALTA  -  4.40 %

9.    CHINA  -  3.54 %

10.  CYPRUS  -  2.45 %

11.  SOUTH KOREA  -  1.63 %

12.  NORWAY  -  1.46 %

13.  UNITED KINGDOM  -  1.39 %

14.  JAPAN  -  1.39 %

15.  GERMANY  -  1.38 %

16.  ITALY  -  1.35 %

17.  ISLE OF MAN  -  1.31 %

18.  INDIA  -  1.17 %

19.  DENMARK  -  1.06 %

20.  ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA  -  1.02 %

21.  UNITED STATES  -  1.0 %

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All other ship registries have less than 1 % of the total worldwide registered deadweight tonnage. 

* As at January 2010, statistics compiled by UNCTAD Secretariat, with the assistance of IHS Fairplay. Reported in the UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport Publication.