In shipping, the stowage factor indicates how many cubic metres of space one metric tonne (or cubic feet of space one long ton) of a particular type of cargo occupies in a hold of acargo ship.[1] It is calculated as the ratio of the stowage space required under normal conditions, including the stowage losses caused by the means of transportation and packaging, to the weight of the cargo.[2] The stowage factor can be used in ship design and as a reference to evaluate the efficiency of use of the cargo space on a ship.