By Yair Arad · Updated October 20, 2026
Yes. Piracy and armed robbery at sea still happen in 2026, but far less often than a year earlier. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded 38 incidents worldwide in the first half of 2026, down from 90 in the same period of 2025 and the lowest mid-year figure since 1992. The risk has not gone away, and Somali pirates are active again.
This guide uses the IMB’s first-half report and a March 2026 shipping report to show where incidents happen now and how the Red Sea fits in.
Check before you rely on this. These are first-half 2026 figures, published July 9, 2026. Counts and threat levels change quickly. For a voyage or a job decision, check the latest IMB, shipping-company and naval advisories.
Review status. Written from public sources. It has not been reviewed by a maritime security professional. It is not safety, travel or legal advice.
About the author’s background. I have not worked on anti-piracy teams. I served in the Navy from 1994 to 1997 on smaller reconnaissance ships, mostly on brown-water work close to shore, so the figures below come from the sources listed, not from my own experience.
Quick answer
- Is piracy still happening? Yes. 38 incidents in the first half of 2026.
- Is it rising? Overall it fell from 90 incidents in the first half of 2025, but Somali pirates hijacked four vessels in April and May 2026 and accounted for 94% of crew taken hostage.
- Where? Somalia, the Singapore Strait and the Manila Anchorage stand out in the report. The Gulf of Guinea recorded only two incidents.
- The Red Sea: attacks there are military strikes, not piracy, and are treated separately in this guide.
What the IMB counted in the first half of 2026
| Measure | First half of 2026 |
|---|---|
| Incidents (piracy and armed robbery) | 38, against 90 in the first half of 2025 |
| Vessels boarded | 27 |
| Vessels hijacked | 5 |
| Vessels fired upon | 3 |
| Attempted attacks | 3 |
| Crew taken hostage | 67 |
| Crew threatened | 2 |
| Crew injured | 1 |
The IMB called 38 the lowest mid-year level since 1992 and warned there is no room for complacency.
Where incidents happen now
Somalia and the western Indian Ocean. Four vessels were hijacked in the region in April and May, and attacks and approaches continued in June. Somali pirates were responsible for 94% of the crew taken hostage worldwide. The IMB’s report describes a slight resurgence.
The Gulf of Guinea. Two incidents, which the IMB called a welcome reduction.
The Singapore Strait. Incidents declined. Four vessels were boarded (two in April, one in May, one in June), two crew were threatened, two were taken hostage and one was injured.
The Manila Anchorage. The exception to the downward trend: eight incidents, compared with none in the first half of 2025, including three boardings in June.
The Red Sea is a different problem
Since November 2023, Houthi forces have targeted more than 100 merchant ships, according to a March 2026 gCaptain report. Four have been sunk, one seized and at least eight seafarers killed. These are military attacks, so they sit outside the IMB’s piracy and armed robbery count.
The Houthis paused large-scale attacks on shipping from about November 11, 2025. In late February 2026 two senior officials said they would resume. As of March 2, 2026 no new strike had been independently verified, but operators had raised threat levels. This guide has not checked the position since then, so look at current shipping advisories.
The effect on shipping was large. Suez Canal container traffic fell from about 80 ships a week before the attacks to about 26 by mid-January 2026, and Maersk again rerouted some services around the Cape of Good Hope.
What this means for seafarers and security staff
Piracy is lower, but threat levels change quickly, and security arrangements on ships follow the threat. Related guides: Do Cargo Ships Have Armed Guards?, the maritime security jobs hub and the maritime security contractor salary guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are there still pirates in 2026? Yes. The IMB recorded 38 piracy and armed robbery incidents in the first half of 2026.
Is piracy increasing or decreasing? Overall it decreased from the first half of 2025 (38 against 90), but Somali pirates hijacked four vessels in April and May 2026.
Where is piracy worst right now? In the IMB’s first-half report, Somali pirates accounted for 94% of crew taken hostage, the Manila Anchorage had eight incidents and the Singapore Strait had four boardings.
Is the Red Sea piracy? No. The Houthi campaign involves military strikes on merchant ships, and it sits outside the IMB’s piracy and armed robbery count.
How many ships were hijacked in 2026? Five vessels in the first half, according to the IMB.
Sources
- ICC International Maritime Bureau: piracy report, January to June 2026
- gCaptain: Red Sea corridor slips back into crisis (March 2026)
Reviewed October 20, 2026. Figures are for January to June 2026; check the latest IMB report.
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