Switzerland remained the world’s leading container shipping nation by operated fleet capacity in mid-2026, while only minor changes were recorded in the latest ranking of the top 20 carrier countries, according to DynaLiners, based on Alphaliner data.
The composition of the top 20 remained unchanged compared with the start of the year, although Singapore and Israel swapped positions, while Turkey moved ahead of Italy in the rankings.
The reshuffle came despite Singapore adding a new carrier, Greta Shipping, as the declining capacity of SeaLead Shipping weighed more heavily on the country’s overall position. Russia lost two carriers, Modul and Silmar, but retained 18th place, while Hong Kong remained 20th, maintaining a significant lead over the next-ranked country, Malaysia.
Switzerland continued to dominate the global ranking with 971 vessels and 7.14 million TEUs of operated capacity, followed by Denmark with 4.61 million TEUs, China with 4.35 million TEUs, France with 4.14 million TEUs, and Taiwan with 3.44 million TEUs.
The remaining top ten comprised Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Israel, while the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Turkey, Thailand, Russia, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong completed the top 20.
According to the report, the world’s 20 largest carrier nations collectively account for 6,291 container vessels, representing 32.68 million TEUs of capacity. Together, they control 84% of the global container fleet by vessel numbers and 97% of worldwide carrying capacity, highlighting the continued concentration of liner shipping among a relatively small group of countries.
| Rank | Country | TEU Capacity | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 7.14M | 971 |
| 2 | Denmark | 4.61M | 727 |
| 3 | China | 4.35M | 1,135 |
| 4 | France | 4.14M | 709 |
| 5 | Taiwan | 3.44M | 520 |
| 6 | Germany | 2.43M | 299 |
| 7 | Japan | 2.09M | 308 |
| 8 | South Korea | 1.47M | 315 |
| 9 | Singapore | 765,600 | 252 |
| 10 | Israel | 705,500 | 117 |
| 11 | UAE | 432,600 | 187 |
| 12 | United States | 209,900 | 133 |
| 13 | Indonesia | 169,100 | 226 |
| 14 | Iran | 143,500 | 31 |
| 15 | Italy | 123,200 | 68 |
| 16 | Turkey | 123,000 | 74 |
| 17 | Thailand | 98,700 | 34 |
| 18 | Russia | 95,200 | 89 |
| 19 | United Kingdom | 85,600 | 56 |
| 20 | Hong Kong | 61,300 | 40 |
