The global containership industry continued to invest aggressively in new capacity during 2025 despite persistent concerns over future overcapacity, with shipowners placing record orders while demolition activity fell to its lowest level ever recorded. According to the latest DynaLiners Trades Review 2026 , the figures highlight an industry that remains committed to long-term fleet renewal even as market fundamentals remain closely watched. By the end of 2025, the global containership orderbook had reached 11.93 million TEU , equivalent to 35% of the active fleet , while the global fleet expanded to 33.688 million TEU across 7,497 vessels . At the same time, ship recycling virtually disappeared, underlining the continued demand for vessel capacity despite the significant volume of new tonnage entering the market. Global containership market at a glance in 2025, highlighting fleet size, record orderbook, newbuilding activity and ship recycling, based on the DynaLiners Trades Review 2026. Source: Dynamar. While the figures highlight another year of significant fleet expansion, they also illustrate the delicate balance between continued investment and the market’s ability to absorb additional capacity. Fleet expansion remains historically strong Despite moderating from the exceptional growth recorded in 2024, 2025 still ranked among the strongest years on record for containership capacity. The global fleet expanded by 2.232 million TEU , marking the second-largest annual capacity increase ever recorded. A net 306 vessels joined the fleet, while the average containership grew to 4,490 TEU , continuing the long-term trend towards larger and more efficient vessels. Deliveries also remained exceptionally strong. During the year, 254 newly built containerships entered service, adding 2.181 million TEU of capacity. The average size of each delivered vessel reached a record 8,600 TEU , reflecting carriers’ preference for larger ships capable of delivering greater