Greece Retains No.1 Spot in Global Commercial Shipping — UNCTAD 2025 Report
Greece remains the undisputed leader in global commercial shipping in 2025, holding 16.4% of the world’s deadweight tonnage (DWT), according to UNCTAD figures cited by Commodity Trading Club. Greek-owned tonnage totals about 398 million DWT across 5,124 vessels, giving Greece the largest capacity despite not having the highest ship count.
Top 10 shipping powers (by fleet ownership, 2025): 1. Greece – 5,124 ships | 398 million DWT | 16.4%
2. China – 10,440 ships | 347 million DWT | 14.4%
3. Japan – 4,083 ships | 241 million DWT | 9.9%
4. Singapore – 2,922 ships | 153 million DWT | 6.3%
5. Hong Kong (China) – 2,081 ships | 139 million DWT | 5.8%
6. South Korea – 1,700 ships | 98 million DWT | 4.1%
7. Germany – 2,016 ships | 71 million DWT | 3.0%
8. Taiwan – 1,063 ships | 64 million DWT | 2.6%
9. United Arab Emirates – 1,598 ships | 57 million DWT | 2.4%
10. United Kingdom – 1,275 ships | 57 million DWT | 2.4%
Key points from the UNCTAD analysis: – Greece, China and Japan together control more than 40% of global shipping capacity.
– Asia overall controls over 50% of the commercial fleet, underscoring the region’s central role in global supply chains.
– Greek dominance is driven by a strategic mix of investments across vessel types (tankers, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, container ships), strong ship-management expertise in cyclical markets, and an entrenched presence in major maritime hubs such as Piraeus, London and Singapore (UNCTAD; Commodity Trading Club).
China’s larger ship count reflects rapid expansion by state and private carriers, while Japan’s strength lies in shipbuilding, technology and a focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. The data highlight that control of tonnage, not just vessel numbers, determines influence over energy and raw-material transport routes.
(Primary source: UNCTAD data, as reported by Commodity Trading Club.)
