Fleet Intelligence

Classification Societies

A safety profile for each classification society, built entirely from our own port-state-control detention and marine-casualty records — no new third-party data. It ranks the societies by detention and casualty intensity over the fleet we actually observe under each, with the eleven IACS members separated from the long tail of niche registers.

societies profiled

Fleet AnalyticsUpdated · 27 Aug 2026

Across the 3,264 hulls we observe under a class, the 9 IACS majors present carry 1.17 detentions per observed vessel against 1.50 for the 64 smaller registers — the long tail runs about a quarter higher. Casualty records sit mostly with the majors, so casualty intensity is not comparable across the split — but where a non-IACS-classed hull does carry a casualty, 46% are serious against 26% for the majors.

Societies profiled

under a class in our record

IACS majors observed

of 73 profiled

Detentions on record

4,078

port-state-control events

Casualties on observed fleet

675

597 with the majors

IACS majors vs the long tail

Pooled over every observed hull — the aggregate the society-by-society table below never performs, so a single niche register can't tilt a cohort's ratio.

Cohort	Societies	Observed hulls	Det / vessel	Cas / vessel †	Serious share
IACS majorsIACS	9	2,482	1.17	0.24^†	26%
Non-IACS tail	64	782	1.50	0.10^†	46%

† Casualties per vessel is not comparable across the split: the casualty record concentrates in the majors, so the tail’s lower figure reflects thinner casualty coverage, not safer ships. Detentions per vessel and the serious share are pooled over every observed hull and are comparable; the higher figure in each is the adverse one.

Detention vs. casualty intensity

Each society placed by its two risk signals; bubble size is the fleet observed under it. Low-left is safer.

per vessel

Performance by society

Sorted with the IACS majors first, then by detention count. “Observed fleet” is the distinct vessel count we see under each society — a footprint, not a register headcount — so per-vessel figures are an event intensity over that footprint, not a true inspection rate.

Per-vessel intensities for societies with fewer than 3 observed vessels (marked †) are shown for completeness but are not comparable — a single detained hull yields det/vessel = 1.00 or higher. The cohort strip above pools every hull, so those registers cannot tilt the aggregate.

Society	Observed fleet	Detentions	Det / vessel	Casualties	Serious	Cas / vessel	Avg age
Bureau VeritasIACS	575	719	1.25	79	17	0.14	17.2 yr
ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai)IACS	562	653	1.16	96	26	0.17	17.4 yr
DNVIACS	548	632	1.15	235	53	0.43	18.0 yr
Lloyd's RegisterIACS	389	442	1.14	145	52	0.37	17.2 yr
American Bureau of ShippingIACS	266	297	1.12	32	5	0.12	15.5 yr
China Classification SocietyIACS	67	80	1.19	4	1	0.06	15.6 yr
Russian Maritime Register of ShippingIACS	39	42	1.08	3	2	0.08	25.4 yr
Korean RegisterIACS	28	32	1.14	3	1	0.11	21.4 yr
Croatian Register of ShippingIACS	8	9	1.13	0	0	0.00	23.2 yr
OTHER	83	142	1.71	4	4	0.05	36.0 yr
Polish Register of Shipping	99	142	1.43	1	0	0.01	25.7 yr
KR	88	101	1.15	8	2	0.09	16.4 yr
PHRS	60	91	1.52	1	1	0.02	31.4 yr
INSB	53	90	1.70	0	0	0.00	34.1 yr
DBS	50	65	1.30	30	18	0.60	32.8 yr
BRS	38	62	1.63	1	0	0.03	35.2 yr
IS	30	41	1.37	1	1	0.03	32.0 yr
International Register of Shipping	29	40	1.38	1	1	0.03	21.5 yr
TL	21	32	1.52	0	0	0.00	24.2 yr
AR	10	28	2.80	0	0	0.00	34.5 yr
SRU	19	28	1.47	0	0	0.00	37.8 yr
CRSCLASS	18	27	1.50	0	0	0.00	32.5 yr
MSR	18	27	1.50	1	0	0.06	41.4 yr
OMCS	18	24	1.33	1	0	0.06	34.4 yr
HNBS	13	18	1.38	1	1	0.08	36.5 yr
International Naval Surveys Bureau	6	18	3.00	0	0	0.00	49.8 yr
PMDS	8	14	1.75	0	0	0.00	30.8 yr
ML	10	12	1.20	0	0	0.00	41.1 yr
Isthmus Bureau of Shipping	5	11	2.20	0	0	0.00	30.5 yr
PSR	7	10	1.43	3	0	0.43	33.2 yr
MBS	6	9	1.50	0	0	0.00	43.0 yr
DL	3	8	2.67	0	0	0.00	35.5 yr
IBS	6	8	1.33	1	1	0.17	37.4 yr
VRS	6	8	1.33	0	0	0.00	34.5 yr
Bulgarian Register of Shipping	6	7	1.17	0	0	0.00	44.5 yr
MC	4	7	1.75	19	5	4.75	23.5 yr
Panama Maritime Documentation Service	5	7	1.40	0	0	0.00	31.9 yr
IMB	4	6	1.50	0	0	0.00	20.2 yr
RSA	5	6	1.20	0	0	0.00	37.8 yr
COLAMREG	4	5	1.25	3	2	0.75	44.5 yr
GBS	3	5	1.67	0	0	0.00	18.0 yr
ICS	3	5	1.67	0	0	0.00	34.0 yr
NASHA	2	5	2.50^†	0	0	0.00^†	27.0 yr
VR	4	5	1.25	0	0	0.00	—
ASIA	3	4	1.33	0	0	0.00	25.8 yr
Intermaritime Certification Services	3	4	1.33	0	0	0.00	36.0 yr
National Shipping Adjusters	2	4	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	50.8 yr
Dromon Bureau of Shipping	1	3	3.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	56.0 yr
HRS	2	3	1.50^†	0	0	0.00^†	47.0 yr
QRS	2	3	1.50^†	0	0	0.00^†	32.0 yr
URACOS	1	3	3.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	20.0 yr
VG Register of Shipping	1	3	3.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
BKI	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
CMB	2	2	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	46.8 yr
DC	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	29.0 yr
ICBC	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
IRCS	2	2	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	22.5 yr
NUMS	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	22.0 yr
Novel Classification Society	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
OMROS	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	34.0 yr
RCB	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	24.0 yr
Tsunami Marine Limited	1	2	2.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
CASRS	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	42.0 yr
CLLC	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
CR Classification Society	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	33.0 yr
HCS	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	53.0 yr
HINSIB	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
LMS	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
Macosnar Corporation	1	1	1.00^†	2	0	2.00^†	—
Overseas Marine Certification Service	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
RBS	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
TASNEEF	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	—
UBS	1	1	1.00^†	0	0	0.00^†	5.0 yr

Method & caveats

Observed fleet is the distinct count of vessels we hold under each society in our port-state-control detention record. It is biased toward ships that have been detained at least once, so it is a footprint, not a true register fleet count. Named “observed” and treated as such.
Detentions per vessel and casualties per vessel are an event intensity over that observed footprint, not an inspection-normalised rate — the source carries only the detained rows, so there is no inspections denominator. A higher number means more recorded events per observed vessel, nothing more.
Serious casualties are those flagged Serious or Critical, mapped to the IMO “very serious casualty” notion. Average age is the DWT-weighted mean age of the observed vessels that resolve to a row in our fleet database (broker convention).
Society names in the raw feeds are messy (four spellings of one register, FoC aliases) and are canonicalised to one name each before aggregation; the eleven IACS members are flagged so the majors are legible against the long tail.

Classification Societies

Cohort

Societies

Observed hulls

Det / vessel

Cas / vessel †

Serious share

IACS majorsIACS

2,482

1.17

0.24^†

26%

Non-IACS tail

782

1.50

0.10^†

46%

Society

Observed fleet

Detentions

Det / vessel

Casualties

Serious

Cas / vessel

Avg age

Bureau VeritasIACS

575

719

1.25

0.14

17.2 yr

ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai)IACS

562

653

1.16

0.17

17.4 yr

DNVIACS

548

632

1.15

235

0.43

18.0 yr

Lloyd's RegisterIACS

389

442

1.14

145

0.37

17.2 yr

American Bureau of ShippingIACS

266

297

1.12

0.12

15.5 yr

China Classification SocietyIACS

1.19

0.06

15.6 yr

Russian Maritime Register of ShippingIACS

1.08

0.08

25.4 yr

Korean RegisterIACS

1.14

0.11

21.4 yr

Croatian Register of ShippingIACS

1.13

0.00

23.2 yr

OTHER

142

1.71

0.05

36.0 yr

Polish Register of Shipping

142

1.43

0.01

25.7 yr

101

1.15

0.09

16.4 yr

PHRS

1.52

0.02

31.4 yr

INSB

1.70

0.00

34.1 yr

DBS

1.30

0.60

32.8 yr

BRS

1.63

0.03

35.2 yr

1.37

0.03

32.0 yr

International Register of Shipping

1.38

0.03

21.5 yr

1.52

0.00

24.2 yr

2.80

0.00

34.5 yr

SRU

1.47

0.00

37.8 yr

CRSCLASS

1.50

0.00

32.5 yr

MSR

1.50

0.06

41.4 yr

OMCS

1.33

0.06

34.4 yr

HNBS

1.38

0.08

36.5 yr

International Naval Surveys Bureau

3.00

0.00

49.8 yr

PMDS

1.75

0.00

30.8 yr

1.20

0.00

41.1 yr

Isthmus Bureau of Shipping

2.20

0.00

30.5 yr

PSR

1.43

0.43

33.2 yr

MBS

1.50

0.00

43.0 yr

2.67

0.00

35.5 yr

IBS

1.33

0.17

37.4 yr

VRS

1.33

0.00

34.5 yr

Bulgarian Register of Shipping

1.17

0.00

44.5 yr

1.75

4.75

23.5 yr

Panama Maritime Documentation Service

1.40

0.00

31.9 yr

IMB

1.50

0.00

20.2 yr

RSA

1.20

0.00

37.8 yr

COLAMREG

1.25

0.75

44.5 yr

GBS

1.67

0.00

18.0 yr

ICS

1.67

0.00

34.0 yr

NASHA

2.50^†

0.00^†

27.0 yr

1.25

0.00

—

ASIA

1.33

0.00

25.8 yr

Intermaritime Certification Services

1.33

0.00

36.0 yr

National Shipping Adjusters

2.00^†

0.00^†

50.8 yr

Dromon Bureau of Shipping

3.00^†

0.00^†

56.0 yr

HRS

1.50^†

0.00^†

47.0 yr

QRS

1.50^†

0.00^†

32.0 yr

URACOS

3.00^†

0.00^†

20.0 yr

VG Register of Shipping

3.00^†

0.00^†

—

BKI

2.00^†

0.00^†

—

CMB

1.00^†

0.00^†

46.8 yr

2.00^†

0.00^†

29.0 yr

ICBC

2.00^†

0.00^†

—

IRCS

1.00^†

0.00^†

22.5 yr

NUMS

2.00^†

0.00^†

22.0 yr

Novel Classification Society

2.00^†

0.00^†

—

OMROS

2.00^†

0.00^†

34.0 yr

RCB

2.00^†

0.00^†

24.0 yr

Tsunami Marine Limited

2.00^†

0.00^†

—

CASRS

1.00^†

0.00^†

42.0 yr

CLLC

1.00^†

0.00^†

—

CR Classification Society

1.00^†

0.00^†

33.0 yr

HCS

1.00^†

0.00^†

53.0 yr

HINSIB

1.00^†

0.00^†

—

LMS

1.00^†

0.00^†

—

Macosnar Corporation

1.00^†

2.00^†

—

Overseas Marine Certification Service

1.00^†

0.00^†

—

RBS

1.00^†

0.00^†

—

TASNEEF

1.00^†

0.00^†

—

UBS

1.00^†

0.00^†

5.0 yr