Shipping Stress Index — month by month
6 months on recordEvery month this index has been published, each with the story behind its number: the biggest moves, the headlines that drove them, and what eased the pressure. Closed months are locked; the current month refreshes nightly. Long-run average so far: 51.4.
Every month on record
tap a month for its storyApril 2026 →
Moderate · range 51–64 · 27 days
The Shipping Stress Index averaged 57.0 in April, reaching a peak of 64 on April 5 and dropping to a low of 51 on April …
May 2026 →
Moderate · range 50–66 · 31 days ▲ 2.0
The Shipping Stress Index averaged 59.0 in May 2026. Early in the month, tension pushed up to a peak of 66 on May 4 as a…
June 2026 →
Stable · range 40–55 · 30 days ▼ 11.7
The Shipping Stress Index averaged 47.3 in June 2026, reaching its highest level of 55 on June 2. Tension was driven up …
July 2026 →
Stable · range 39–76 · 31 days ▲ 6.0
The Shipping Stress Index started July at its lowest point of 39 before rising over the month. Tension was pushed up by …
August 2026 →
Moderate · range 27–72 · 31 days ▲ 3.6
The Shipping Stress Index averaged 56.9 in August 2026, driven by several regional conflicts. Tension pushed higher due …
September 2026 →
Calm · range 27–46 · 21 days ▼ 21.7
The Shipping Stress Index recorded an average level of 35.2 in September 2026, starting at its lowest point of 27 on Sep…
How to read this timeline
What a month card shows. The big number is the monthly average of the Shipping Stress Index — every day of the month added up and divided, nothing smoothed. Under it: the zone that average falls in, the lowest and highest daily score, and how the month compared with the one before.
Where this record stands. The Shipping Stress has been running since April 2026. Its strongest month so far was May 2026 at 59.0; its calmest was September 2026 at 35.2 — a spread of 23.8 points. Compared with its first month it is now lower by 21.8.
Why the month pages matter. An average hides the story. Each month page lists the biggest daily moves and the headlines that caused them, plus what eased the pressure. That is how you tell a one-day shock from a real shift.
Locked and open. Closed months are locked the day they end and never rewritten. The current month refreshes every night until it closes, so its card can still move.
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