Giants of the seas: How 6,500 container ships really keep global trade going

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

They are the invisible backbone of our globalized world: some 6,500 container ships with a virtually unimaginable total capacity of over 25 million standard containers (TEU) traverse the world's oceans every day. This enormous fleet is the lifeblood 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 consist of small feeder vessels responsible for regional transport, they contribute only about 10% to the 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 alone can carry over 24,000 containers. These few behemoths shoulder a disproportionately large share of global trade.

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

Related to this:

• Container 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 around 25.4 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). This fleet transports approximately 157 million TEU of cargo annually, thus 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 = capacity of an ISO container with a length of 20 feet (6.096 m).
A standard container can also be 40 feet long, in which case it 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 it carries. This is not correct. TEU stands for Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit and is a unit of measurement for the capacity of a standard 20-foot container (approximately 6.1 meters long). In practice, however, most container ships primarily 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 figure, the following rule of thumb can be used:

The value for "Average TEU per container" depends on the mix of cargo on board.

Example: If a ship loads 60% 40-foot containers (2 TEU) and 40% 20-foot containers (1 TEU), this results in:

The values ​​mentioned 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 key message remains: TEU is a measure of volume, not the number of containers – and 40-foot containers make the physical number of boxes smaller than the TEU number would suggest.

Distribution by ship size class

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

Feeder ships (100-1,500 TEU)

These very small container ships, comprising 50.6% of the total fleet, constitute the largest category by number. Approximately 3,300 vessels of this size class primarily handle regional supply and distribution functions, as well as coastal transport. Despite their large numbers, they represent only 10.4% of the 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 fleet, comprising approximately 800 vessels. Medium-sized ships of the intermediate class (3,000-8,000 TEU) make up 18.4% of all container ships and are flexibly deployed on various routes between major ports worldwide.

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

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

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

Post-Panamax ships are numerically rare, comprising only 2.7% of the fleet, but they carry 12.8% of the total capacity. These giants primarily operate 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, yet 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 World's Largest Container Ships The current 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 corresponds 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: Approximately 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 risen steadily: while ten years ago the average size was around 3,600 TEU, it now exceeds 4,000 TEU.

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

Average ship size

The average size of all container ships is currently about 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 will be stored vertically in multi-story steel racking structures. This not only allows for a drastic increase in storage capacity within the same area, but also revolutionizes all processes at the container terminal.

More information here:

• Container high-bay warehouses and container terminals: The logistical interplay – 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 amount ever loaded on a single container ship.

Technical specifications 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-breaking payloads:

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

The ship is the flagship of the ONE fleet and the first of six “Megamax” I-class 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 assumption: This is 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 world's largest container ship. How can that be? The answer lies in a crucial difference that is often overlooked: the discrepancy between a ship's theoretical maximum capacity and the cargo it actually transports. While ships like the MSC Irina could theoretically hold more than 24,000 containers, the practical reality is far more complex.

The ONE Innovation's record is therefore not merely a numbers game, but a masterpiece of logistics, demonstrating perfect weight distribution, port logistics, and safety planning. It shows 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 is making history – and it's not the biggest

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

Difference: Maximum capacity vs. actual charge

The largest container ships, such as the MSC Irina or the ONE Innovation, have a nominal maximum capacity, e.g., 24,346 and 24,136 TEU respectively. This means that, theoretically, they could transport that 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 the loading plan differs depending on the port and transshipment.

Record: Most containers on a single trip

The record now achieved by ONE Innovation refers to the number of containers actually loaded and transported on a single voyage: 22,233 containers – more than ever before for a single ship. This means the ship has not reached its maximum potential capacity, but rather the largest quantity actually loaded on a single voyage. For comparison, ships like the MSC Irina could theoretically carry more containers, but have never actually loaded more than 22,233 containers.

Why records are awarded for "actually loaded"

Record-breaking cargo figures in the shipping industry refer to actual loading, as they are considered logistical and technical masterpieces – the coordination of weight, route, port capacities, and handling is far more complex in reality than on paper. Thus, the record demonstrates how far these processes can be optimized in practice. Nominal capacity is generally a theoretical value that is rarely, if ever, fully utilized.

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

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The global economy is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation, a watershed moment that is shaking the foundations of global logistics. The era of hyper-globalization, characterized by the relentless pursuit of maximum efficiency and the "just-in-time" principle, is giving way to a new reality. This new reality is marked by profound structural breaks, geopolitical power shifts, and increasing fragmentation of economic policy. The once taken-for-granted predictability of international markets and supply chains is dissolving and being replaced by a period of growing uncertainty.

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

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