The Greek-owned merchant fleet has reached a new historic milestone, surpassing for the first time the threshold of 4,300 vessels and totaling 4,388 ships in March 2026, while its overall carrying capacity has also exceeded 360 million deadweight tons (DWT) for the first time.
According to data from the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee in London, based on research by S&P Global Market Intelligence, Greek shipping interests controlled 4,388 vessels above 1,000 gross tons (GT) across various categories as of March 3, 2026. The fleet’s total carrying capacity stood at 360,564,729 DWT, while total gross tonnage reached 211,204,583 GT.
Compared with March 2025, the fleet recorded a significant increase across all key indicators. The number of vessels rose by 167 ships, carrying capacity increased by 6,472,263 DWT, and gross tonnage expanded by 3,193,733 GT. These figures do not include 422 vessels currently under construction in shipyards worldwide, which together represent 40,212,290 DWT and 25,258,008 GT.
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In contrast, the fleet sailing under the Greek flag registered a slight decline. Ships listed in the Greek registry now total 463, down by 17 vessels compared with last year. Both carrying capacity and gross tonnage also decreased, reaching 44,944,717 DWT and 27,445,524 GT, respectively, compared with 48,717,807 DWT and 29,551,538 GT a year earlier. According to the Committee, this trend highlights the need for the Greek registry to become less bureaucratic and more flexible in order to remain competitive.
Greek-owned vessels are currently registered across approximately 31 different ship registries worldwide. Liberia recorded the largest increase, adding 130 ships and reaching a new historic high. Panama followed with an increase of 30 vessels, while the Marshall Islands gained 25 ships and Portugal (Madeira) added 19. By contrast, Malta and the Bahamas recorded slight declines, while Cyprus and Barbados remained stable.
In terms of overall fleet size, Liberia and the Marshall Islands remain the dominant flags for Greek shipowners. Liberia hosts 1,279 Greek-owned vessels, with a combined capacity of 111,307,219 DWT, representing 30.1% of the total fleet. The Marshall Islands registry includes 1,061 vessels, totaling 83,286,472 DWT, accounting for 23.1% of the fleet.
