Global Shipbuilding: Market Summary, Competitive Analysis and Forecast to 2030

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Published: January 22, 2026 Report Code: GD0199-2980IP-ST

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Analyze the global shipbuilding market, including market size, production volumes, vessel segments, Asia-Pacific dominance, leading companies, and forecasts to 2030.

Why Does the Global Shipbuilding Market Matter?

The global shipbuilding market plays an important role in maritime transportation and trade, encompassing the design, engineering, construction, and assembly of ships. Understanding market performance, production volumes, vessel segments, and regional concentration can help businesses assess industry opportunities and competitive pressures.

Global shipbuilding production volume grew at a CAGR of 5.5% between 2020 and 2025, reaching 75,269.9 thousand gross tonnage in 2025. Bulk carriers represented the largest vessel segment by volume, accounting for 35,814.4 thousand gross tonnage, or 47.6% of the global market. Asia-Pacific dominated the industry in 2025, capturing 97.9% of global shipbuilding market volume, supported by its extensive shipbuilding capacity, including China’s.

The Global Shipbuilding industry profile provides historical market data, forecasts through 2030, analysis of major segments, leading company profiles, financial metrics, and an assessment of competitive pressures.

You can use this report to:

  • Analyze global shipbuilding market size and growth
  • Assess historical market performance from 2020 to 2025
  • Explore market forecasts through 2030
  • Track shipbuilding production volumes
  • Compare major vessel segments
  • Evaluate Asia-Pacific’s position in the global market
  • Benchmark leading shipbuilding companies
  • Review company operations and financial performance
  • Assess competitive intensity using Five Forces analysis
  • Support market entry, investment, and strategic planning decisions

Key Insights in the Global Shipbuilding Market

The report highlights key indicators shaping the global shipbuilding industry:

  • Production growth: Global shipbuilding production volume increased at a CAGR of 5.5% between 2020 and 2025.
  • Total production volume: The market reached 75,269.9 thousand gross tonnage in 2025.
  • Leading vessel segment: Bulk carriers accounted for 35,814.4 thousand gross tonnage in 2025, representing 47.6% of total market volume.
  • Regional concentration: Asia-Pacific accounted for 97.9% of global shipbuilding market volume in 2025.
  • China’s role: China’s shipbuilding capacity contributes to Asia-Pacific’s dominant position.
  • Market forecasts: The profile includes historical market sizing and five-year forecasts through 2030.
  • Competitive landscape: Leading company profiles provide insights into global operations and financial performance.
  • Market attractiveness: Five Forces analysis helps assess the competitive pressures affecting the industry.

Scope

What Will You Learn from This Global Shipbuilding Report?

This report provides insight into:

  • Global shipbuilding market size by value

  • Historical market performance from 2020 to 2025

  • Market forecasts to 2030

  • Shipbuilding production volume

  • Gross tonnage measurement

  • Major shipbuilding market segments

  • Bulk carrier production volume

  • Regional market distribution

  • Asia-Pacific market share

  • Leading shipbuilding companies

  • Company operations and financial metrics

  • Competitive pressures

  • Five Forces analysis

  • Future market growth prospects

Who Should Buy This Global Shipbuilding Report?

This report may be valuable for:

  • Shipbuilders and shipyard operators

  • Maritime and shipping companies

  • Marine engineering businesses

  • Vessel manufacturers and suppliers

  • Maritime equipment providers

  • Industrial and manufacturing companies

  • Corporate strategy teams

  • Business development teams

  • Market entry specialists

  • Investors and investment analysts

  • Management consultants

  • Competitive intelligence teams

How Companies Use This Shipbuilding Market Analysis

Companies can use this report to:

  • Assess market opportunities by reviewing historical performance and forecasts through 2030.

  • Track production trends by analyzing changes in gross tonnage.

  • Compare vessel segments to understand their contribution to overall market volume.

  • Evaluate regional concentration by assessing Asia-Pacific’s position in global shipbuilding.

  • Benchmark competitors using leading company profiles and financial metrics.

  • Assess market attractiveness through Five Forces analysis.

  • Support investment decisions with market sizing, production data, and growth forecasts.

  • Inform market entry strategies by understanding industry structure and leading players.

  • Strengthen business planning by identifying major segments and competitive pressures.

  • Support presentations and pitches with structured market data and forward-looking analysis.

Reasons to Buy

Benchmark the Global Shipbuilding Landscape

Benchmark the global shipbuilding market across:

  • Market value from 2020 to 2025

  • Forecasts through 2030

  • Production volume by gross tonnage

  • Major vessel segments

  • Bulk carrier market volume

  • Regional market shares

  • Asia-Pacific’s competitive position

  • Leading company operations

  • Company financial performance

  • Competitive intensity and market attractiveness

The report uses gross tonnage as its measure of market production volume. This reflects the molded volume of a vessel’s enclosed spaces, including cargo holds, machinery spaces, and crew accommodation areas.

Built on GlobalData Market Intelligence

GlobalData’s Global Shipbuilding industry profile combines quantitative market data with qualitative industry analysis to provide a structured overview of the market.

The analysis includes historical market sizing, future forecasts, segment-level insights, leading company profiles, financial metrics, and Five Forces assessment to help stakeholders understand market performance and the competitive environment.

Act Now to Identify Opportunities in Global Shipbuilding

Assess the scale, structure, and growth prospects of the global shipbuilding market. Use market forecasts, production data, vessel segment analysis, and company intelligence to benchmark industry players, evaluate competitive pressures, and support informed business and investment decisions through 2030.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1. Market Volume

1.2. Market Volume Forecast

1.3. Category Segmentation

1.4. Geography Segmentation

1.5. Market Rivalry

1.6. Competitive Landscape

2 Market Overview

2.1. Market definition

2.2. Market analysis

3 Market Data

3.1. Market volume

4 Market Segmentation

4.1. Category segmentation

4.2. Geography segmentation

5 Market Outlook

5.1. Market volume forecast

6 Five Forces Analysis

6.1. Summary

6.2. Buyer power

6.3. Supplier power

6.4. New entrants

6.5. Threat of substitutes

6.6. Degree of rivalry

7 Competitive Landscape

7.1. Who are the leading players?

7.2. What are the strengths of leading players?

7.3. What are the recent developments in the market?

8 Company Profiles

8.1. HD Hyundai Co Ltd

8.2. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd

8.3. Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd

8.4. Hanwha Ocean Co Ltd

9 Macroeconomic Indicators

9.1. Country data

10 Appendix

10.1. Methodology

10.2. Industry Associations

10.3. Related GlobalData Research

10.4. About GlobalData

Table

List of Tables

Table 1: Global shipbuilding market volume: thousand gross tonnage, 2020–25

Table 2: Global shipbuilding market category segmentation: % share, by volume, 2020–25

Table 3: Global shipbuilding market category segmentation: thousand gross tonnage, 2020-25

Table 4: Global shipbuilding market geography segmentation: thousand gross tonnage, 2025

Table 5: Global shipbuilding market volume forecast: thousand gross tonnage, 2025–30

Table 6: HD Hyundai Co Ltd: Key Facts

Table 7: HD Hyundai Co Ltd: annual financial ratios

Table 8: HD Hyundai Co Ltd: key employees

Table 9: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd: Key Facts

Table 10: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd: annual financial ratios

Table 11: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd: key employees

Table 12: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd: key employees Continued

Table 13: Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd: Key Facts

Table 14: Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd: annual financial ratios

Table 15: Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd: key employees

Table 16: Hanwha Ocean Co Ltd: Key Facts

Table 17: Hanwha Ocean Co Ltd: annual financial ratios

Table 18: Hanwha Ocean Co Ltd: key employees

Table 19: Global Exchange Rate, 2020–25

Figures

List of Figures

Figure 1: Global shipbuilding market volume: thousand gross tonnage, 2020–25

Figure 2: Global shipbuilding market category segmentation: thousand gross tonnage, 2020-25

Figure 3: Global shipbuilding market geography segmentation: % share, by volume, 2025

Figure 4: Global shipbuilding market volume forecast: thousand gross tonnage, 2025–30

Figure 5: Forces driving competition in the global shipbuilding market, 2025

Figure 6: Drivers of buyer power in the global shipbuilding market, 2025

Figure 7: Drivers of supplier power in the global shipbuilding market, 2025

Figure 8: Factors influencing the likelihood of new entrants in the global shipbuilding market, 2025

Figure 9: Factors influencing the threat of substitutes in the global shipbuilding market, 2025

Figure 10: Drivers of degree of rivalry in the global shipbuilding market, 2025

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