Greek shipowners are the stars of shipbuilding and ship purchases

Their dominance in tankers is particularly impressive, since the 317 shipbuilding orders constitute 25% of the global orderbook.

Greek shipowners are aiming for larger, more efficient and commercially flexible ships, ensuring a dominant position in the main oil flows.

In bulk carriers, the Greek presence remains strong with 169 ships on order, approximately 12% of the global orderbook. The average age of the fleet is 12.4 years, with over 28% over 16 years old, and thus new orders are aimed at replacing older ships.

The Greek presence is also strong in containerships with 141 ships, i.e. 11% of the global orderbook, while in LNG carriers, 54 shipbuilding orders have been placed, i.e. 18% of the global orderbook. In LPG carriers, Greek activity includes 46 ships, representing 15% of the orderbook, reflecting the strategy to renew older ships. In the second-hand market, despite the international slowdown, Greek shipowners maintained a dynamic presence by purchasing 179 second-hand ships in 2025, mainly in dry cargo (109 ships) and tankers (47), ranking Greece in second place worldwide, after China. The second-hand market has proven resilient, with a drop of only 10% in unit sales and 7% in total tonnage, an element that demonstrates the continued investment interest in selected ships. The picture of 2025 shows a dynamic, strategic, selective and targeted Greek shipping, which shapes the trends of the global shipbuilding and second-hand markets.

Greek shipowners do not simply follow the market, but regulate it, strengthening their dominance in the main shipping sectors and ensuring the viability and efficiency of their fleet for the coming decades.

At the turn of the year, Greek shipowners were intensely active with orders and deliveries.