Greek shipping ranks first in the world and is mainly focused on bulk/tramp shipping. However, it has a significant presence in all shipping sectors.
Greek shipowners control over 20% of the world’s merchant fleet in terms of tonnage – dwt, making Greece the largest ship-owning country in the world.
The Greek-owned merchant fleet is the largest in the world, showing steady growth. In the last decade, in fact, the total capacity of the Greek commercial fleet, consisting of 5,543 ships, has increased by 53.5%.
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Greek shipowners control 25.2% of the world’s dry bulk shipping capacity (2,602 vessels). They also control 30.2% of the oil tanker fleet and 14.9% of oil product carriers.
In LNG carriers, Greek shipowners have 23.1% of global capacity, while in LPG carriers they have 13.2%. At the same time, they have 8.6% of the world’s transport capacity in both containerships and vehicle transport ships.
Shipping also plays a catalytic role in the Greek economy. Shipping is an integral part of the Greek economy, a sector that contributes the most to the development of the country and to the strengthening of its international presence.
Shipping, a purely international activity, is one of the main productive pillars of the Greek economy. Its direct and indirect contribution to the Greek economy is estimated to be between 6.5% and 8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Greek shipowners also invest in sectors of the national economy other than shipping, such as new technologies, services, real estate and tourism.
In addition, their social contribution is important, both on an individual and a collective level.
In addition to creating hundreds of thousands of jobs directly and indirectly, maritime transport consistently contributes billions of euros each year to the country’s current account balance.
Over the past 20 years, shipping receipts have exceeded 263 billion euros, having contributed to the reduction of the country’s trade deficit.
