Data InsightsOil spills from tankers have fallen by more than 90% since the 1970s
April 11, 2024Hannah Ritchie
Oil spills from tankers have fallen by more than 90% since the 1970s
In the 1970s, oil spills from tankers — container ships transporting oil — were common. Between 70 and 100 spills occurred per year. That’s one or two spills every week.
This number has fallen by more than 90% since then. In the last decade, no year has had more than eight oil spills, as shown in the chart.