World’s largest carrier · fleet in TEU
7.45 million TEU
Share of the top five
65.7%
World fleet in service
34.9 million TEU
Top 100 orderbook
13 million TEU
What the data say · 13 October 2026
According to the Alphaliner Top 100 of 13 October 2026, MSC (Switzerland) is the carrier with the world’s largest container fleet: it operates ships with a capacity of 7.45 million TEU, 21.5% of the world fleet. It is followed by Maersk (Denmark, 4.73 million, 13.7%) and CMA CGM Group (France, 4.47 million, 12.9%).
The rest of the top ten are COSCO Group (4th, 3.66 million), Hapag-Lloyd (5th, 2.41 million), ONE (Ocean Network Express) (6th, 2.19 million), Evergreen Line (7th, 2.04 million), HMM Co Ltd (8th, 1.03 million), Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. (9th, 771,280 TEU) and Zim (10th, 691,560 TEU).
Container shipping is highly concentrated: the top five carriers account for 65.7% of the world fleet and the top ten for 85.1%. The next 90 carriers in the Top 100 together hold 12.5%.
Of the fleet operated by the top ten, 62% is owned and 38% chartered. The chartered share ranges from 18.1% at HMM Co Ltd to 86.6% at Zim.
The 100 carriers in the ranking have ships on order with a total of 13 million TEU, 38.1% of the fleet they operate. The largest orderbook belongs to MSC: 2.91 million TEU in 164 ships, 39% of the fleet it operates today.
Figures are consolidated by group (MSC’s: includes WEC Lines and Log-In Logistica) and count the operated fleet, that is, owned plus chartered ships. They measure nominal capacity in TEU, not cargo carried. Alphaliner updates the ranking daily and El Estrecho Digital stores a dated snapshot every day to track how it changes.
Top 10 · The 100 largest carriers by operated fleet
What this indicator measures
The ranking orders liner shipping companies by the capacity, in TEU (twenty-foot containers), of the container ships they operate, whether owned or chartered from independent owners. Figures are consolidated by group: each carrier includes its subsidiaries. Market share is each carrier’s weight in the world liner fleet, and the orderbook covers ships firmly ordered from shipyards and not yet delivered. It measures available capacity, not the cargo actually carried.
Full table · 100 carriers
Context
Since the mergers of the 2010s, a handful of European and Asian groups have held most of the world’s capacity, organised into alliances that share ships on the main East-West routes. Their port-call decisions determine which transhipment hubs, such as Algeciras, Valencia or Tanger Med, receive the largest ships. The orderbook shows how much each fleet will grow in the coming years.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the largest shipping line in the world?
MSC (Switzerland), with an operated fleet of 7.45 million TEU (21.5% of the world fleet), according to Alphaliner as of 13 October 2026.
Which three carriers have the largest container fleets?
MSC (7.45 million), Maersk (4.73 million) and CMA CGM Group (4.47 million), according to Alphaliner as of 13 October 2026.
Which carrier has the largest orderbook?
The largest orderbook belongs to MSC: 2.91 million TEU in 164 ships, 39% of the fleet it operates today.
When is this data updated?
Alphaliner updates the Top 100 daily. Latest data available: 13 October 2026.
Source
Alphaliner Top 100 (AXS Marine). To explore the data in detail, use Carrier ranking or see the original source.
More data on this in EED Data
News about this figure
CMA CGM leads capacity growth among large shipping companies during the first half of 2026
The French company adds 235,500 TEUs between January and July, a 5.7% increase in capacity, and shortens the gap with Maersk in the race for second place worldwide