Greek shipping in 2026: fleet, orderbook, secondhand trading and new Athens listings

At a glance#

Fleet and orderbook#

The Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) published its 2025–26 annual report on 26 May 2026. It puts the Greek-owned fleet at nearly 5,800 vessels and 19.1% of global deadweight tonnage, based on S&P Global Market Intelligence data for January 2026. The report says 98% of that capacity serves trade between third countries.

According to the same report, which cites Clarksons Research:

• 725 vessels are on order, about 70 million DWT, with a total investment value of about $60bn;
• the Greek orderbook is about seven times larger in number of ships, and five times larger in capacity, than in 2021;
• the Greek fleet has higher shares than the world fleet in scrubbers (35% v 31% by gross tonnage), LNG capability (8% v 7.6%), energy-saving technologies (53% v 46%) and eco-modern engines (48% v 37%).

UGS also states that shipping accounts directly and indirectly for 7–8% of Greek GDP and supports about 200,000 jobs. These are the association's own figures.

Greek-flag fleet (ELSTAT)#

The Greek-owned fleet above includes ships under many flags. ELSTAT counts only the Greek-registered fleet. Its provisional data for August 2026, published on 26 October, show 1,867 ships of 100 gross tons and over, 1.5% more than in August 2025, with total gross tonnage down 0.4% to 34,692,278 (ELSTAT, PDF, Greek). The two measures should not be compared directly.

Secondhand trading: more selling than buying#

Allied Shipbroking, a Piraeus broker, tracks sale-and-purchase deals by buyer and seller nationality. Its week 32 report (12 Aug 2026) shows Greek owners as the largest sellers over the previous 12 months:

The same report says that in July Greek newbuilding orders ran ahead of secondhand buying, led by dry bulk and containers, with deliveries scheduled from 2027 to the end of the decade.

Later Allied figures show the same pattern. Greek interests sold 334 ships and bought 240 over 12 months, reported by newmoney, 8 Oct 2026, citing Allied. In tankers alone the figures were 133 sold and 98 bought, from Allied's 13 October report, reported by newmoney, 16 Oct 2026. We have not seen the full October reports. Secondhand counts leave out newbuilding deliveries, so they do not show how the size of the fleet is changing.

October 2026: recent orders and sales#

Recent disclosures from listed Greek owners, and orders reported by the trade press, follow the same pattern: new ships ordered, much of it in China, and older ships sold.

Confirmed by the companies:

• Robin Energy (Nasdaq: RBNE), 23 October. The Limassol-based owner agreed to buy a 2015-built 5,000 cbm LPG carrier for $18m from AI OKTO Corp, a Nasdaq-listed company controlled by Robin's chairman and chief executive. Special committees of independent directors negotiated the terms. Delivery is expected in Q4 2026, funded with cash, and would take Robin's fleet to three LPG carriers (Robin Energy release).
• EuroDry (Nasdaq: EDRY), 14 October. A contract with Hengli Shipbuilding (Dalian) for a third 82,000 dwt Kamsarmax, Konstantina TZ, at about $37m, for delivery in Q3 2029. It is to be funded with debt and equity. The contract is conditional on a refund guarantee from a bank acceptable to EuroDry (EuroDry release, PDF).
• Euroseas (Nasdaq: ESEA), 19 October. Agreed to sell the 2001-built, 2,556 TEU feeder Evridiki G for about $26m to an unaffiliated buyer, with an expected gain of about $22.5m. It also fixed sister ship EM Corfu for 12–14 months at $62,500 a day from mid-December (Euroseas release, PDF).

Reported by the trade press (not confirmed by the owners in a release):

• Danaos (NYSE: DAC). Two 9,200 TEU containerships in China, for delivery in 2029; the price was not disclosed by the company. Reports differ on the yard. Splash247 reported on 21 Oct 2026, citing Xclusiv Shipbrokers, that the order was at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS). TradeWinds reported on 23 Oct 2026 that it was at CSSC Hudong-Zhonghua, with delivery in early 2029. Neither Danaos nor a yard has confirmed the order, so we do not resolve the difference. In its early-October fleet update, Danaos already listed 28 newbuildings, as cited by Splash247.
• Lavinia Bulkers (Laskaridis family). Four 212,000 dwt Newcastlemax bulk carriers at Zhoushan Changhong International, for delivery in 2030, its first Newcastlemax order since 2013. Reported by Splash247, 23 Oct 2026, citing brokers. The price was not disclosed by the company.
• Pavimar (Ismini Panagiotidi). Four Kamsarmax bulk carriers at Hengli Heavy Industries, for delivery through 2029. The price was not disclosed by the company. Reported by Mononews, 26 Oct 2026, citing shipbroking sources.
• Liquimar Tankers. Three 157,000 dwt suezmax tankers at Jiangsu New Hantong Ship Heavy Industry, for delivery in the second half of 2030 (price not disclosed by the company). The order follows the reported sale of two 2007-built suezmaxes. Reported by Splash247, 16 Oct 2026, citing shipbuilding sources.
• Alpha Gas (Anna Angelicoussis group). Two 88,000 m³ VLGC/VLAC gas carriers at Hengli Heavy Industries, for delivery through 2029, said to be the company's first order in China. Terms were not disclosed. Reported by Riviera, 20 Oct 2026, citing broker sources.
• Tsakos Group. Two 3,200 TEU containerships at Hengli for Q4 2028, its first boxship order since 2022, shown in the group's online fleet list. Reported by Riviera, 13 Oct 2026.

The EuroDry, Euroseas and Robin Energy deals are logged in the deals tracker. From 23 October we also log large press-reported orders there, clearly marked as reported and without undisclosed prices.

Shipping companies on Euronext Athens#

Three shipping companies listed in Athens in 2026. The capital markets note has the details.

• Safe Bulkers (45 dry bulk vessels, per Euronext): parallel listing from 2 June 2026, alongside its NYSE listing (Euronext).
• Star Bulk Carriers (138 owned dry bulk vessels on a fully delivered basis, 13.75m DWT): dual listing from 15 September 2026, raising €107.8m (Euronext).
• Capital Maritime Finance Corp.: IPO raising €300.0m, with trading from 20 October 2026. It has 13 containerships in operation and 23 under construction for delivery through 2028, all on long-term charters. The company gives projected contracted revenues of about $3.9bn (Euronext).

Why it matters for investors in Greece#

Shipping capital reaches the wider Greek economy in several ways: through listings in Athens, bank lending, and owners' investments outside shipping. UGS cites a 2024 McKinsey study estimating that Greek shipowners invest about $1.5bn a year in real estate, hospitality, energy, banking, media and sports. That figure comes from a consultancy study, not from official statistics.

Scope and method#

Figures are attributed to the body that published them and the date it did so. Broker data covers transactions the broker recorded and may differ from other brokers. This note makes no comment on freight rates, vessel values or any listed share.

Sources#

• ELSTAT, Greek merchant fleet, August 2026 (provisional), 26 Oct 2026.
• Union of Greek Shipowners, Annual Report 2025–26 and press release, 26 May 2026.
• Allied Shipbroking, weekly market report, week 32 2026; later Allied figures as reported by newmoney, 8 and 16 Oct 2026.
• Euronext press releases, 2 Jun, 16 Sep and 20 Oct 2026.
• EuroDry: third Kamsarmax order, 14 Oct 2026 (PDF)
• Euroseas: EM Corfu charter and Evridiki G sale, 19 Oct 2026 (PDF)
• Riviera: Alpha Gas order at Hengli (20 Oct 2026)
• Splash247: Danaos linked to two 9,200 TEU ships at SWS (21 Oct 2026)
• Splash247: Liquimar suezmax trio at New Hantong (16 Oct 2026)
• Riviera: Tsakos Group containership order at Hengli (13 Oct 2026)