- As of mid-2025, less than 4,000 TEU of container ship capacity has been scrapped worldwide.
- Only seven vessels, each averaging around 500 TEU, were dismantled in the first half of the year.
- 2025 is on course to record the lowest annual TEU scrapping total in two decades.
- The average age of scrapped ships in 2025 is 28 years, higher than the 20-year average of 26 years.
Container ship demolitions have dropped to remarkably low levels in 2025, with fewer than 4,000 TEU in total capacity scrapped globally by mid-year. Only seven vessels, each averaging about 500 TEU, were dismantled in the first six months. Although 2022 saw fewer ships scrapped—just five—the total capacity removed that year was nearly triple compared to 2025 so far. Additionally, the average age of scrapped vessels in 2025 has reached 28 years, slightly above the long-term average of around 26 years, signaling that older ships are staying in service longer. These trends reflect a historically slow pace in container ship retirements, according to data from Alphaliner.
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Source: Alphaliner
