Container Ship Idling Remained Low in 2025

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday January 7, 2026

Commercial idling in the container shipping sector remains low, despite continued fleet growth, according to sector specialist Alphaliner.

As of the end of December 2025, Alphaliner counted 83 container ships as commercially idle, it said.

This represents just 0.6% of the global container fleet in 2025, which is steadily approaching 37 million TEUs

The figure is broadly in line with the 0.7% average recorded in 2024.

At this level, vessel idling is not seen as a concern for the market.

However, Alphaliner noted that inactivity could edge higher in the coming months as new ships continue to be delivered and seasonal demand typically weakens in the first quarter.

Commercially idle vessels are ships not earning revenue, excluding those waiting outside congested ports while still deployed on active services.

Around 1.5 million TEUs of new container capacity are scheduled to enter service in 2026.

While this is lower than the more than 2 million TEUs delivered in 2025, it remains significant by historical standards.

Capacity growth is expected to accelerate again in 2027, with deliveries projected at around 3 million TEUs.

Alphaliner also flagged uncertainty around a potential large-scale return of container ships to the Suez Canal and Red Sea, which could release additional tonnage back into the market.

Ship & Bunker News Team
To contact the editor responsible for this story email us at editor@shipandbunker.com