The Greek-owned merchant fleet has reached a new historic milestone in 2025, with 4,221 ships now forming the backbone of global maritime trade. This figure, confirmed by the latest annual survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence for the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee (GSCC) in London, marks an increase from the 4,212 ships recorded in 2024.
The fleet’s combined capacity stands at 354,092,466 deadweight tons (dwt) and 208,010,850 gross tons (gt). Despite this record in numbers, the survey highlights a modest reduction in capacity—down 1.11 million dwt and 241,738 gt—indicating a strategic shift toward smaller or more specialized vessels. The total fleet increase was a net gain of nine ships.
Notably, these figures do not include 456 additional ships currently under construction in global shipyards, which collectively represent another 43.2 million dwt and 27 million gt, poised to join the Greek-controlled fleet in the coming years.
Decline of the Greek Flag, Rise of the EU Registry
One of the most striking developments in the 2025 GSCC report is the continued decline of the Greek flag. For the first time, the number of Greek-flagged vessels over 1,000 gt fell below 500 in 2024, and that trend continued this year, dropping to 480 ships. Their total capacity now stands at 29.6 million gt and 48.7 million dwt, down from 30.8 million gt and 51.7 million dwt the year before.
However, Greek shipowners have strategically shifted towards European Union registries. In 2025, 1,414 Greek-owned ships fly EU flags, up from 1,278 in 2024—now representing 33.5% of the total Greek-owned fleet, compared to 30.3% the year before.
In total, Greek-controlled vessels are now registered under 29 different flags, underscoring the global nature of Greek shipping operations, even as management remains heavily concentrated in Greece.
As the world’s shipping lanes evolve amidst shifting geopolitical and environmental currents, Greek shipping remains a constant—agile, forward-looking, and anchored in a legacy that spans millennia.
