SINGAPORE, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's container throughput grew by 8.7 percent to 36.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2018, said Lam Pin Min, senior minister of state for transport and health, here on Monday.

According to a press release from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Lam said the total cargo throughput handled in Singapore reached 630 million tonnes last year, compared to 627.7 million tonnes in 2017.

Lam said the Port of Singapore maintained a stable performance in 2018, and Singapore retained its position as the world's leading bunkering port. He added Singapore continues to be home to a diverse range of maritime businesses, with more than 5,000 maritime establishments in Singapore generating over 170,000 jobs.

Overall, the maritime sector contributed some seven percent to Singapore's GDP, Lam said.

According to the press release, the Singapore Registry of Ships continues to rank among the five largest ship registries worldwide.