Abstract: In order to better measure and evaluate the conditions of the international shipping market and its development trend, this paper, taking into consideration the volume and value level and other factors of the global shipping industry, simulated the structure of AHP and established the index system of global shipping prosperity; using the time difference correlation analysis, cluster analysis, etc., classified these indicators into three categories of the preceding, the simultaneous and the lagging indicators; learned the theory of the economic monitoring, and established the diffusion indices and composite indices of global shipping prosperity by using the method of factor analysis; collected the statistics of the global maritime economy in recent five years as a study sample, illustrated global shipping prosperity indices and the results, and comprehensively and objectively assessed the dynamic process of the global shipping industry prosperity.  

Key words: international shipping, diffusion indices, composite indices, prosperity monitoring