Shipping containers lost at sea almost tripled to almost 1500 last year with one vessel’s loss accounting for nearly half of that number.
The World Shipping Council’s June 2026 Containers Lost at Sea Update shows that an estimated 1478 containers were lost at sea out of 280 million shipped globally (or 0.0005%).
There were 576 containers lost in 2024, the council says, but the 2025 total includes 640 containers lost off one ship (or 43% of the annual total).
It says 128 containers were recovered last year, the highest since the council started collecting recovery data in 2023.
“Despite periodic spikes, the overall trend continues to demonstrate that container losses are rare relative to the scale of global trade,” it says.
SHIPPING CONDITIONS IDENTIFIED
The report identifies weather and ocean conditions, particularly in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, and onboard fires as key factors, saying that the losses were confined to a ‘small number’ of incidents.
“While the total number of storms globally was not significantly higher than average, the year was marked by warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures, which can intensify storms and increase wave energy,” the WSC report reads.
It also highlighted periods of more severe and unpredictable weather, particularly in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, and regional conditions like strong winter storms and unusual ocean currents.
It noted other factors such as shipboard fire, cargo shift and stack collapse in rough seas and individual vessel incidents like groundings.
The council says the highest recorded number of container losses was 5578 in 2013 while the lowest (221) was in 2023.
It also noted that mandatory reporting of lost containers to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) began on January 1 this year which it calls a “a major step forward” in data accuracy.
According to the Australian Navy, Australia is the fifth largest shipping user with about 98% of the country’s overseas trade moved by ship.
Click here for the WSC’s full Containers Lost at Sea Report: 2026 Update.
