Giants of the Seas: How 6,500 Container Ships Really Keep Global Trade Running

From MSC to Maersk: Who is really behind the container transport of your goods

They are the invisible backbone of our globalized world: Around 6,500 container ships with an almost unimaginable total capacity of over 25 million standard containers (TEU) cross the world's oceans every day. This vast fleet is the lifeline of international trade, ensuring that everything from electronics from Asia to food and clothing reaches its destination. But the fleet is anything but uniform.

A closer look at the figures for 2024/2025 reveals a fascinating structure: While more than half of all ships are small "feeder vessels" responsible for regional transport, they contribute only about 10% of total transport capacity. At the other end of the spectrum, the giants dominate: Less than one percent of the fleet consists of mega-container ships like the "MSC Irina," which can carry over 24,000 containers alone. These few colossi shoulder a disproportionately large share of global trade.

This overview not only shows the current distribution, from small feeder vessels to floating giants, but also highlights the leading shipping companies such as MSC and Maersk and takes a look at the latest trends that prove: The fleet is growing inexorably and recently exceeded a new record.

Suitable for:

• Container record ship ONE Innovation: A ship bigger than the Eiffel Tower – efficiency miracle or expensive risk?

Number and capacity distribution 2024/2025

The global container ship fleet currently comprises approximately 6,525 container ships with a total capacity of approximately 25.4 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). This fleet transports approximately 157 million TEU of cargo annually, forming the backbone of global trade.

The Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) is a unit of measurement in container logistics and corresponds to the volume of a standard container with a length of 20 feet (approx. 6.096 m).

1 TEU = the capacity of a 20-foot (6.096 m) ISO container.
A standard container can also be 40 feet long, which then counts as 2 TEU.

TEU explained: Why 24,000 TEU are not 24,000 containers

Many people think that the TEU rating of a container ship directly corresponds to the number of containers. This isn't true. TEU stands for Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit and is a calculated unit of measurement for the capacity of a 20-foot standard container (approximately 6.1 meters long). In practice, however, most container ships predominantly transport 40-foot containers, which are twice as long and are therefore counted as 2 TEU.

To estimate the total number of containers from a TEU number, the following rule of thumb can be used:

The value for “Average TEU per container” depends on the mix on board.

Example: If a ship loads 60% 40-foot containers (2 TEU) and 40% 20-foot containers (1 TEU), the result is:

The values ​​cited in some sources, such as “24,346 TEU ≈ 16,200 containers,” are based on a slightly different assumption for the mix of 20- and 40-foot containers (e.g., an average of 1.5 TEU per container).

The core message remains: TEU is a volume measure, not a container count – and 40-foot containers make the physical number of boxes smaller than the TEU number suggests.

Distribution by ship size class

The container ship fleet shows a clear concentration on smaller to medium-sized vessels, with interesting differences between the number of vessels and their transport capacity:

Feeder vessels (100-1,500 TEU)

These very small container ships constitute the largest category by number, accounting for 50.6% of the total fleet. Approximately 3,300 vessels in this size class primarily perform regional supply and distribution functions, as well as near-coastal transport. Despite their large number, they account for only 10.4% of total capacity.

Small to medium-sized container ships (1,500-8,000 TEU)

Small container ships (1,500-3,000 TEU) represent 12.3% of the approximately 800-vessel fleet. Medium-sized intermediate-class ships (3,000-8,000 TEU) account for 18.4% of all container ships and are deployed flexibly on various routes between major ports worldwide.

Panamax and Neo-Panamax class (4,500-8,000 TEU)

Panamax ships, designed to transit the old Panama Canal locks, account for 6.1% of the fleet. The Neo-Panamax class (8,000-17,000 TEU), which can utilize the new, larger lock gates, comprises 9.2% of all container ships and 29.5% of total capacity.

Ultra-large container ships (17,000-20,000 TEU)

Post-Panamax ships are rare in number, accounting for only 2.7% of the fleet, but they carry 12.8% of total capacity. These giants operate primarily on the main routes between continents.

Mega container ships (20,000-24,500 TEU)

The largest ships represent only 0.8% of the global fleet, but transport 4.4% of the total capacity. These approximately 50 mega-container ships operate exclusively on the main trade routes between Asia, Europe, and North America.## The largest container ships in the world. The currently largest container ship is the MSC Irina with a capacity of 24,346 TEU. The top 10 largest container ships are:

1. MSC Irina: 24,346 TEU
2. MSC Loreto: 24,346 TEU
3. MSC Michel Cappellini: 24,346 TEU
4. OOCL Spain: 24,188 TEU
5. ONE Innovation: 24,136 TEU
6. MSC Tessa: 24,116 TEU
7. Ever Alot: 24,004 TEU
8. Ever Ace: 23,992 TEU
9. HMM Algeciras: 23,964 TEU
10. MSC Gülsün: 23,756 TEU

These mega-ships are all about 400 meters long (larger than the Eiffel Tower) and 61-62 meters wide, which is equivalent to an area of ​​more than three football fields.

Market structure and shipping companies

The largest container shipping companies by fleet size are:

1. MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company): Almost 6 million TEU capacity with over 920 ships
2. Maersk: Approximately 4.3 million TEU with 735 ships
3. CMA CGM: Around 3.8 million TEU with 673 ships
4. COSCO: 523 container ships
5. Hapag-Lloyd: 2.4 million TEU with 305 ships

Development trends

In 2024, 473 new container ships were delivered, representing a significant increase compared to previous years. The average size of new ships has continuously increased: While ten years ago the average size was around 3,600 TEU, the 4,000 TEU mark is now exceeded.

The total capacity of global liner shipping has reached the 30 million TEU mark for the first time. Experts expect ships with capacities of around 25,800 TEU to become the market standard, although no significant increase in size beyond this mark is expected.

Average ship size

The average size of all container ships is currently approximately 3,891 TEU per ship, reflecting the dominance of smaller ships in the overall statistics.

This innovative technology promises to fundamentally change container logistics. Instead of stacking containers horizontally as before, they are stored vertically in multi-tiered steel rack structures. This not only enables a drastic increase in storage capacity within the same space but also revolutionizes the entire processes in the container terminal.

More about it here:

• Container high-bay warehouses and container terminals: The logistical interaction – expert advice and solutions

ONE Innovation – Current record holder

Ocean Network Express’s (ONE) ONE Innovation set a new world record on September 21, 2025, by loading 22,233 containers in Singapore – the highest volume ever loaded on a single container ship.

Technical data of the ONE Innovation

• Capacity: 24,136 TEU
• Length: 400 meters
• Width: 61.4 meters
• Year of construction: 2023
• Shipyard: Japan Marine United Corporation, Kure
• Estimated number of containers: approximately 16,100 physical containers

Special features of the ONE Innovation

The ONE Innovation is remarkable not only for its size, but also for its record loads:

• September 2025: 22,233 containers (new world record)
• December 2023: 22,000 containers (previous record)

The vessel is the flagship of the ONE fleet and the first of six I-class "megamax" vessels. It operates on the FE3/FE4 route between Asia and Europe and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for fuel efficiency and emission reduction.

Wrong thought: That's why the record of 22,233 containers is so special – What really counts with container ships is not the size

A new giant of the seas has made history: On September 21, 2025, the container ship ONE Innovation set an impressive world record. With 22,233 standard containers actually loaded on a single voyage, it set a new benchmark in global shipping.

But this record is causing a stir, because the ONE Innovation isn't even the largest container ship in the world. How can that be? The answer lies in a crucial, often overlooked distinction: the difference between a ship's theoretical maximum capacity and the cargo it actually carries. While ships like the MSC Irina could hold more than 24,000 containers on paper, the practical reality is far more complex.

The ONE Innovation's record is therefore not just a numbers game, but a masterpiece of logistics, demonstrating perfect weight distribution, port logistics, and security planning. It demonstrates what is truly possible in practice – and why the largest loading capacity doesn't automatically lead to a record.

22,233 containers on board: This ship makes history – and it is not the largest

The world record set by the ONE Innovation with 22,233 TEU loaded refers to the actual number of containers transported on a single voyage – not the maximum nominal capacity of the ship.

Difference: Maximum capacity vs. actual charge

The largest container ships, such as the MSC Irina and the ONE Innovation, have a nominal maximum capacity of 24,346 and 24,136 TEU, respectively. This means that theoretically, they could transport this many containers, provided the weight distribution, port logistics, and loading regulations allow it. In practice, however, this capacity is almost never fully utilized because the containers vary in weight, the loading must be adjusted for safety reasons, and loading planning varies depending on the port and handling requirements.

Record: Most containers on a single voyage

The record now achieved by the ONE Innovation refers to the number of containers actually physically loaded and transported on a single voyage: 22,233 containers – more than ever before on a single ship. This means that the ship has not reached its maximum potential capacity, but rather the largest quantity actually loaded on a single voyage. By comparison, ships like the MSC Irina could theoretically carry more containers, but have so far not actually loaded more than 22,233 containers.

Why records are awarded for “actually loaded”

Record reports in the shipping industry refer to actual loading because they are considered a logistical and technical masterpiece – the coordination of weight, route, port capacities, and handling is much more complex in reality than on paper. Thus, the record demonstrates how far these processes can be optimized in practice. Nominal capacity is usually a theoretical value that is rarely or never fully utilized.

The world record refers to the actual quantity loaded on a single voyage, not the theoretical maximum number of containers a ship could carry. This makes the record particularly predictable and relevant for logistics practice.

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The global economy is currently experiencing a fundamental change, a broken epoch that shakes the cornerstones of global logistics. The era of hyper-globalization, which was characterized by the unshakable striving for maximum efficiency and the “just-in-time” principle, gives way to a new reality. This is characterized by profound structural breaks, geopolitical shifts and progressive economic political fragmentation. The planning of international markets and supply chains, which was once assumed as a matter of course, dissolves and is replaced by a phase of growing uncertainty.

Suitable for:

• Strategic resilience in a fragmented world through intelligent infrastructure and automation - The requirements profile of the dual-use logistics expert

Industry focus: B2B, digitalization (from AI to XR), mechanical engineering, logistics, renewable energies and industry

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