Container ship demolitions are at historic lows according to analyst Alphaliner.
By mid-2025, less than 4,000 TEU of total capacity have been scrapped worldwide. If this pace continues in the second half of the year, 2025 will mark the lowest annual total of demolished TEU in two decades.
During the first half of the year, seven container ships, averaging about 500 TEU per vessel, were sent to demolition yards. Although 2022 still holds the record for the fewest ships demolished (only five), the total TEU removed from the market that year was roughly three times higher than in 2025 so far.
The average age of ships demolished in 2025 is 28 years, higher than the two-decade average of around 26 years.
