Global Shipbuilding Industry in 2025: Top 10 Leading Countries
This page ranks the leading shipbuilding countries using the latest full-year delivery data (2024, gross tonnage). We add a 2025 context layer (orders and orderbook concentration) to explain what the ranking means for trade, fleet renewal, and industrial policy.
Global delivered tonnage (2024)
71.7M GT
Total gross tonnage delivered by shipyards worldwide in 2024.
Top 3 concentration (China + Korea + Japan)
~95.2%
Shipbuilding output is exceptionally concentrated in East Asia.
China’s position (deliveries, 2024)
54.57%
Largest builder by delivered GT, leading most commercial cargo segments.
2025 context (orderbook concentration)
63.7%
China’s share of the global orderbook (GT) at the start of 2025.
Top 10 shipbuilding countries (2025 snapshot, based on 2024 deliveries)
Delivered GT for countries beyond the top few is shown as a rounded estimate derived from each country’s share of global delivered GT in 2024. This keeps the ranking consistent with the same UNCTAD/Clarksons-based framework.
| Rank (2025) | Country | Output share (GT, 2024) | Delivered GT (2024, approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Dominant | 54.57% | 39,118,358 |
| 2 | South Korea High-tech | 28.02% | 20,090,872 |
| 3 | Japan Precision | 12.56% | 9,002,442 |
| 4 | Viet Nam | 1.01% | ~724,079 |
| 5 | Philippines | 0.93% | ~666,726 |
| 6 | Italy Cruise leader | 0.64% | ~458,822 |
| 7 | Germany | 0.26% | ~186,397 |
| 8 | Türkiye | 0.12% | ~86,029 |
| 9 | India | 0.06% | ~43,015 |
| 10 | United States | 0.04% | ~28,676 |
Country notes: what the leaders build
1) China — scale + breadth across commercial segments
2) South Korea — gas carriers, high-value “smart & green” ships
3) Japan — bulk-focused base with “smart & green” shift
4) Viet Nam — bulkers, containers, and tankers (cost + growing capacity)
5) Philippines — mid-sized commercial vessels
6) Italy — cruise ships and high-end passenger vessels
7) Germany — advanced engineering, specialized high-tech ships
8) Türkiye — mixed portfolio (commercial + military/specialized)
9) India — growing industry supported by policy initiatives
10) United States — small in commercial newbuild, leader in defense shipbuilding
Next: charts (Top 10 output) and the 2024 delivery mix by vessel type.
Charts: Top 10 output + delivery mix by vessel type
Two visuals help interpret the ranking: (1) the output gap between the top three and the rest, and (2) what the industry delivered in 2024 — the vessel types that drove tonnage.
Top 10 shipbuilders by delivered GT (2024)
Gross tonnage delivered; values for smaller builders are rounded estimates derived from their share of global deliveries.
- China — 39,118,358
- South Korea — 20,090,872
- Japan — 9,002,442
- Viet Nam — ~724,079
- Philippines — ~666,726
- Italy — ~458,822
- Germany — ~186,397
- Türkiye — ~86,029
- India — ~43,015
- United States — ~28,676
What was delivered in 2024 (share of global delivered GT)
Container ships dominated delivered tonnage in 2024, followed by bulkers and gas carriers.
- Container ships — 41.3%
- Bulk carriers — 26.6%
- Gas carriers — 12.2%
- Oil tankers — 5.1%
- Other categories (offshore supply, general cargo, passenger, chemical tankers, etc.) — 14.8%
Delivery mix table (2024)
These shares explain why certain countries lead specific segments (e.g., gas carriers and large containers).
| Vessel type | Share of delivered GT (2024) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Container ships | 41.3% | Large, complex builds; central to fleet renewal and port efficiency. |
| Bulk carriers | 26.6% | High-volume workhorse segment; scale and cost discipline dominate. |
| Gas carriers (LNG/LPG) | 12.2% | High value & technical complexity; strong link to energy transition. |
| Oil tankers | 5.1% | Cyclical ordering; yard capacity swings can move prices quickly. |
| Other categories | 14.8% | Specialized niches (passenger, offshore, chemical, general cargo). |
Methodology, insights, and FAQs
Methodology (how this ranking is built)
Indicator: shipbuilding output measured as delivered gross tonnage (GT) for propelled seagoing merchant vessels of 100 GT and above. The scope excludes inland vessels, fishing vessels, military vessels, yachts, and offshore platforms (consistent with UNCTAD/Clarksons reporting).
Why a “2025 snapshot” uses 2024 deliveries: deliveries are the most stable, comparable year-end metric across builders. Full 2025 deliveries are not complete at the time of compiling most global yearbooks, so 2024 is used as the latest full-year baseline, with additional 2025 context added via orderbook/contracting trends.
- Ranking year: 2025 snapshot (baseline year for output: 2024).
- Primary source framework: UNCTAD calculations based on Clarksons Research (as presented in Review of Maritime Transport 2025, Chapter II).
- Delivered GT (top 3 and major builders): taken from the UNCTAD table of deliveries; for smaller builders in the Top 10, delivered GT is a rounded estimate derived from their share of global deliveries × world total.
- Comparability limits: GT is not “value”. A country can be small in GT but large in value (e.g., cruise ships and specialized vessels). Naval shipbuilding is not captured by this commercial GT series.
Insights (more than two lines — what the data actually says)
1) Shipbuilding is one of the most concentrated global heavy industries. The top three builders (China, South Korea, Japan) together account for ~95% of delivered GT — a level of concentration that turns shipyard capacity into a strategic lever for trade and industrial policy.
2) “Today’s output” and “tomorrow’s output” are not the same thing. Deliveries show what was completed; contracting and orderbooks show where future capacity is locked in. In UNCTAD’s 2025 review, China’s share of contracted gross tonnage in 2024 and its orderbook share at the start of 2025 indicate that pipeline concentration can outlast a single boom year.
3) The 2024 vessel mix explains why Korea stays strong in high-complexity segments. Container ships dominated 2024 deliveries by tonnage, followed by bulkers and gas carriers. Gas carriers are a technically demanding segment where Korean yards are repeatedly highlighted as leaders — so even small swings in gas ordering can shift competitive dynamics.
4) “Small share” does not mean “small relevance”. Italy and Germany have modest delivered GT shares but can be highly influential in specialized, higher-value programs (passenger, cruise, advanced engineering), while the United States remains central in naval/defense shipbuilding despite a small commercial newbuilding share.
What this means for the reader (interpretation & context)
- If you track freight & fleet renewal: concentrated shipyard capacity can amplify price cycles (when orderbooks fill, lead times and prices move quickly).
- If you track energy transition: the rise of alternative-fuel capable newbuilds makes shipbuilding capability (especially in gas and large containers) a bottleneck for decarbonization timelines.
- If you track policy & geopolitics: orderbook concentration matters because it shapes future leverage (who can deliver new ships, when, and at what cost).
FAQ (plain-language questions)
Why use gross tonnage (GT) instead of number of ships or value?
Does this ranking include warships and naval shipbuilding?
Why do China, Korea, and Japan dominate so strongly?
What’s the difference between “deliveries”, “new orders”, and “orderbook”?
Can smaller builders move up quickly?
Sources (official / international where possible)
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) — Review of Maritime Transport 2025, Chapter II (shipbuilding shares; deliveries mix)
Open PDF • Used for: 2024 output shares by country; contracting and orderbook concentration context; deliveries by vessel type.
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) — Review of Maritime Transport 2024, Chapter II (historical context)
Open PDF • Used for: 2023 concentration benchmarks and segment notes.
OECD — Shipbuilding topic hub (policy context: decarbonization, volatility, capacity)
Open page • Used for: policy framing (industry transformation pressures).
Clarksons Research (as referenced by UNCTAD) — market structure indicators (orders/orderbook)
This page cites Clarksons figures via UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2025 (see the UNCTAD PDF above).
Supplementary industry note (mid-2025 snapshot)
Open article • Used only to add a 2025 directional note (orders cooling vs very active 2024).
Shipbuilding 2025 — Tables & Charts (ZIP)
CSV/XLSX tables and PNG images of the charts used on this page.
- Top 10 table: delivered GT (2024) and output share (%).
- Vessel-type mix: 2024 delivery structure (% of delivered GT).
- Charts: Top 10 bar chart + delivery mix donut chart (PNG).
