As of 2025, the largest shipping company in the world by number of vessels is Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The company operates a fleet of approximately 850 vessels and ranks first in the world in container capacity, with approximately 6.2 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).
MSC is a privately held Swiss company founded in 1970 by Gianluigi and Raffaela Aponte. The company also owns MSC Cruises, the third-largest cruise line in the world.
In second place is APM-Maersk, with a fleet of approximately 700 vessels and a capacity of approximately 4.6 million TEU.
Thus, MSC leads both in the number of vessels and in total container capacity in global shipping.
