The number of containers on a container ship varies widely depending on the ship's size and design, but here are the key details:
- Container capacity is measured in TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). A standard 20-foot container equals 1 TEU, and a 40-foot container equals 2 TEUs.
- Modern large container ships typically carry between 10,000 to over 24,000 TEUs. For example:
- The MSC Irina, the largest container ship as of 2024, can carry about 24,346 TEUs, which corresponds to roughly 12,173 40-foot containers.
- The Ever Ace can carry around 23,992 TEUs, or about 11,996 40-foot containers.
- Maersk Triple E-Class ships carry around 18,000 TEUs, or 9,000 40-foot containers
- Smaller container ships may carry as few as a few hundred containers, while typical average container ships carry around 15,000 TEUs, equivalent to about 7,500 40-foot containers
- Factors influencing the number of containers include the ship’s physical size, hull design, weight limits, container types (standard, refrigerated, high-cube), stowage planning, and international safety regulations
In summary, the largest container ships today can carry approximately 12,000 40-foot containers, while average large container ships carry around 7,500 to 9,000 such containers. Smaller ships carry fewer, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand containers depending on their class and purpose
