The global order book for container ships has almost reached the threshold of 13 million TEU. The units on order are 1,592, representing 38.3% of the global fleet currently in service.
This is certified by Alphaliner, highlighting how over the past two years, the interest of shipping companies has shifted from extra-large vessels to those of medium tonnage.
In 2025 alone, the order book grew by a third. A very profitable year for shipyards, the one that has just ended, with a total of 737 container ships ordered (5.05 million TEU), of which 483 were ordered in the last two quarters, amounting to a total of 2.91 million TEU.
This strong growth continued into 2026. The first half of the year saw the addition of another 329 ships (1.89 Mteu). The January-March period alone recorded the highest number of orders ever seen in a first quarter, even surpassing the first quarter of 2021 (177 units).
Despite the high number of ships, however, less capacity in terms of TEU was added. This demonstrates a clear change in course in the “profile” of the vessels ordered starting from the second half of last year.
Since July 2025, 74% of orders have concerned ships with a capacity of less than 6,500 TEU. In the same period of the previous year (from the third quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2025), this share was below 30%.
