The international maritime transportation sector has an essential factor in world trade. According to data from the International Chamber of Shipping, more than 50,000 container ships operate in the oceans.
Largest 5 container ships in the world updated list
| Rank | Ship Name | Shipping Company | TEU Capacity | Length (m) | Width (m) | Builder |
| 1 | MSC Irina | Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) | 24,346 | ~400 | 61.3 | Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, China |
| 2 | MSC Loreto | Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) | 24,346 | ~400 | 61.3 | Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, China |
| 3 | OOCL Spain | COSCO / OOCL | 24,188 | 399.9 | 61.3 | Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., China |
| 4 | Ever Alot | Evergreen Marine | 24,004 | 399.9 | 61.5 | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, China |
| 5 | HMM Algeciras | HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine) | 24,000 | 399.9 | 61.0 | Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, South Korea |
Shipping company fleet capacity rankings 2025
| Rank | Shipping Company | Largest Ship Class (TEU Capacity) | Fleet TEU Capacity (Approx.) |
| 1 | Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) | Irina Class (24,346 TEU per ship, 6 ships) + Gülsün Class (23,756 TEU, 16 ships) | ~6.7 million TEUs total fleet capacity |
| 2 | A.P. Møller – Maersk | Maersk controversially holds large ULCVs but below top 5 ships, fleet capacity ~4.58 million TEUs | ~4.58 million TEUs total fleet capacity |
| 3 | CMA CGM | No single ship in top 5, but large fleet, combined capacity ~4.01 million TEUs | ~4.0 million TEUs total fleet capacity |
| 4 | COSCO / OOCL | OOCL Spain (24,188 TEU), plus other fleet vessels combined | ~3.4 million TEUs total fleet capacity |
| 5 | Hapag-Lloyd | Berlin Express Class (23,664 TEU), plus fleet | ~3.4 million TEUs total fleet capacity |
| 6 | Evergreen Marine | Ever Alot (24,004 TEU) and Ever Ace (23,992 TEU), plus other vessels | Part of COSCO group, total combined |
The Biggest Container Ships of 2025
We are listing the world’s biggest container ships of 2025; this updated list of the largest container ships also contains 2024 listing. A ship’s capacity, height, and length play a significant role in container shipping because the amount of containers it can carry and its trade volume depend on those factors.
1. MSC Irina
- Operator: Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
- Capacity: 24,346 TEUs
- Length: ~400 meters
- Width: 61.3 meters
- Builder: Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, China
Launched in 2023, MSC Irina holds the title of the largest container ship in the world. It’s optimized for energy efficiency and built for ultra-long-haul routes connecting Asia and Europe.
2. MSC Loreto
- Operator: Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
- Capacity: 24,346 TEUs
- Length: ~400 meters
- Width: 61.3 meters
- Builder: Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, China
A twin to MSC Irina, the MSC Loreto shares identical specifications and design. MSC’s strategic investment in these sister ships underscores its commitment to fleet dominance and operational scale.
3. OOCL Spain
- Operator: COSCO / OOCL
- Capacity: 24,188 TEUs
- Length: 399.9 meters
- Width: 61.3 meters
- Builder: Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., China
OOCL Spain is not only one of the largest but also one of the most advanced in terms of emissions control and digital navigation. It serves the major Asia–Europe trade lane and is part of COSCO’s green shipping strategy.
4. Ever Alot
- Operator: Evergreen Marine
- Capacity: 24,004 TEUs
- Length: 399.9 meters
- Width: 61.5 meters
- Builder: Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, China
Ever Alot made headlines as the first container ship to surpass 24,000 TEUs when it was delivered in 2022. It remains a critical vessel for Evergreen’s global services, with state-of-the-art fuel efficiency technologies.
5. HMM Algeciras
- Operator: HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine)
- Capacity: 24,000 TEUs
- Length: 399.9 meters
- Width: 61.0 meters
- Builder: Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, South Korea
Once the largest container ship in the world (2020), HMM Algeciras now ranks fifth. Still, it remains an iconic vessel in the fleet of South Korea’s flagship carrier and plays a major role in the Asia–Europe corridor.
The Biggest Container Ships of 2024
1- MSC Irina, MSC Loreto and MSC Michel Cappellini
MSC Irina ,MSC Loreto and MSC Michel Cappellini are currently the largest vessels in the world in terms of dead weight tonnage (dwt) and cargo capacity. These massive ships have a tonnage exceeding 240,000 dwt and can carry up to 24,346 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of cargo. Furthermore, the new design allows for containers to be stacked up to 25 layers high, providing even greater capacity for cargo transport. These “ultra-large container ships” are, in fact, the same length as others in their class; the reason that they are considered the biggest is because their deck arrangements provide for their 24,346 TEU container capacity.
2- OOCL Spain
Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) has announced its first +24,000 TEU capacity mega vessel, “OOCL Spain”. The ship has a capacity of 24,188 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), making it one of the largest container ships in the world. OOCL Spain measured 399.99 meters in length and 61.3 meters in width and was built by Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. This vessel is the first of its kind for OOCL and one of the few ships that exceed the 24,000 TEU capacity.
3- ONE Innovation
One Innovation, the first Megamax in the 24,000-TEU class from One Network Express, was delivered on June 2, 2023. It was delivered to Kure Shipyard by Japan Marine United Corporation, on 2nd June. The vessel’s LOA is 399.95 m, its beam is 61.40m, and it has a depth of 33.20 m. A unique hull design that aims to increase cargo capacity and reduce fuel consumption would result in economies of size and a decrease of carbon emissions. One Innovation features an exhaust-gas cleaning system, bow windows, energy-saving devices, etc. It is also the very first of six new Megamax ships that will join ONE’s fleet.
4- MSC Tessa and MSC Celestino Maresca
MSC’s new ships, MSC Celestino Maresca and MSC Tessa are both considered one of the biggest in the industry, with a capacity of 24,116 TEUs. They took 3rd place in our list “Top 5 biggest Container Ships in 2024” in terms of capacity. Both ships measured 399.99 meters in length and 61.5 meters in width.
5- Ever Alot, Ever Aria and Ever Atop
Ever Alot by Evergreen takes place as the 4th biggest container ship in the world as of 2023, completed on the 2nd of June 2022. The ship has a 24,004 TEU capacity and measures 399.99 meters in length and 61.5 meters in width. Ever Alot is operated by the Evergreen Marine Corporation. The ship sails under the flag of Panama. Ever Alot has 2 sister ships called “Ever Aria” and “Ever Atop.” All these 3 gain ships have the same capacity, length, and width. These ships took over the Ever Ace’s record belong in 2022.
6- Ever Ace
With a capacity of 23,992 TEUs, Ever ACE fell back on the list and took its place as the 5th biggest container ship in 2023. The ship first started to sail in July 2021.
- 399.9 meter long
- 24 rows of side-by-side container capacity
- 61.53 meters breadth
This ship was created by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea for Evergreen Marine. Includes 2-stroke Wartsila engine. It has 11 cylinders providing 70950 Kilowatts of power that can accelerate the ship to a cruising speed of 22.6 knots. If you need to locate your Evergreen shipments, visit our Evergreen tracking page.
