By Antonis Tsimplakis 

 

The global leadership of the Greek-owned fleet and the steady downward trend of the Greek flag were both reflected in the data of the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee in London.

 

According to the annual survey, which was conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence on ships over 1,000 gt on behalf of the Committee, the Greek-owned fleet broke a new record by owning 4,221 ships in March 2025, up from 4,212 a year ago, while in terms of capacity it has suffered a decrease of 1.11 million dwt (354,092,466 dwt).

 

Specifically, Greek companies controlled a record of 4,221 ships of various categories, with a total capacity of 354,092,466 dwt and 208,010,850 gt.

 

Compared to the previous year's data, this represents an increase of nine ships and a decrease of 1,117,034 dwt and 241,738 gt.

 

The data does not include 456 ships of various categories ordered from shipyards, with a total capacity of 43,186,564 dwt and 27,035,837 gt.

 

New drop

 

The Committee's 2024 report showed that for the first time the Greek flag fell below 500 ships over 1,000 gt and more specifically to 496 ships.

 

A new drop was recorded this year, by 16 ships. More specifically, 480 ships are registered in the Greek registry.

 

There was also a slight decrease in dwt and gt, with the figures now amounting to 29,551,538 gt and 48,717,807 dwt in contrast to the previous year's figures which stood at 30,759,394 gt and 51,694,269 dwt, the Committee stated in the report.

 

In fact, the Greek registry seems to be losing strength at a time when Greek shipowners are enhancing their presence in European registries.

 

In particular, the total number of ships registered under EU flags amounts to 1,414, which corresponds to 33.5% of the total. This number has increased compared to last year's number of 1,278 ships, which represented 30.3% of the Greek fleet.

 

According to the report, the Greek interests fleet is registered under approximately 29 flags.

 

Union of Greek Shipowners welcomes Clean Industrial Deal

 

The EU's intention to include shipping in the framework of the "clean industrial deal", with the aim of increasing its competitiveness, is welcomed by the Union of Greek Shipowners in a post on the internet.

 

"Greek and European shipping are leading the way in reducing emissions, but success depends on global convergence, investments and fuel availability," it said, while pointing out that shipping needs to be fully integrated into all the initiatives of the climate agreement, for adequate financing in the field of alternative fuels and infrastructure.

 

Regulatory safety and economic incentives are crucial to bridging the cost gap between conventional and alternative fuels, the Union stressed, calling on the European Union to promote global solutions within the IMO framework, avoiding regional measures that distort competitiveness.

 

It also added that the Union remains committed to working with EU institutions to ensure a competitive and sustainable shipping industry.

 

Greek registry: Strong, but at a historic low

 

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy has been taking measures and following strategies lately to make the Greek registry more attractive.

 

According to Deputy Minister Stefanos Gikas, "the Greek registry was and remains strong. We are working on a plan to further increase the competitiveness and strength of Greek shipping."

 

In fact, the Greek flag remains firmly in the top 10 registries worldwide, in terms of transport capacity. It is also one of the few that recorded an excellent quality performance according to international organizations.

 

However, it has been losing strength on an almost annual basis, for at least two decades. As a result, according to the Committee's annual survey, for ships over 1,000 gt, in 2023 it will fall for the first time in history below 500 ships (496 in total). This number was maintained in 2024, i.e. 496 ships, while in March 2025, according to the Committee's data, it reached a new historic low, with only 480 ships under the flag.