China built more than twice the naval tonnage produced by the United States during 2024 and 2025, according to the World Defense Shipbuilding report published by Euronaval. The figures show Beijing narrowing the overall tonnage gap between the two countries’ combat fleets.

Chinese shipyards constructed 636,208 tons of combat vessels during the two years through December 2025. The United States produced 270,509 tons during the same period, according to data compiled by Flottes de Combat and French maritime industry association Gican.

China accounted for more than one third of all naval tonnage constructed worldwide during 2024 and 2025. The production figures put China far ahead of every other country measured by the report, even as the American fleet remained substantially larger overall.

U.S. lawmakers and congressional researchers have warned that China’s greater shipbuilding capacity could damage America’s ability to keep pace with Beijing’s expanding fleet. They have also pointed to delays and bottlenecks affecting U.S. naval shipbuilding.

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Philippe Missoffe, general director of Gican, described a broad increase in naval construction and military capability during a press briefing in Paris on Tuesday. His comments focused on the scale of the expansion identified by the report.

“We are seeing a fairly substantial expansion of naval forces, and consequently of shipbuilding,” Missoffe said. “We’re seeing an increase in power capabilities, particularly nuclear-powered attack submarines for example.”

The surge was not limited to China. Global naval construction reached 1.47 million tons of combat vessels during 2024 and 2025, up from 959,671 tons produced during the previous two years.

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The worldwide value of naval construction also rose sharply. The report placed that value at $123.9 billion for 2024 and 2025, compared with $81.8 billion during 2022 and 2023.

Chinese combat vessel construction was valued at $43.5 billion during the latest two year period. American combat vessel construction was valued at $26.8 billion, giving China a wide lead in both tonnage and construction value.

Those figures represented a major reversal from the previous reporting period. During 2022 and 2023, China’s naval yards produced 202,520 tons, while the United States produced 245,703 tons, according to the prior shipbuilding report published in 2024.

Despite China’s production surge, the United States continued to operate the larger combat fleet when measured by tonnage. American combat vessels weighing more than 200 tons totaled 3.11 million tons as of Jan. 1, 2026.

China’s fleet in that category totaled 1.44 million tons on the same date. Two years earlier, the United States had 3.22 million tons of combat vessels, compared with 1.3 million tons for China.

The figures show that American fleet tonnage declined over the two year comparison while China’s increased. The report nevertheless placed the United States well ahead of China in total combat fleet tonnage as of Jan. 1, 2026.

Russia ranked third for naval construction during 2024 and 2025, producing 149,056 tons. India followed with 76,430 tons, while Italy placed fifth with 53,700 tons built during the period.

Turkey, France, Japan, South Korean builders and Romania completed the report’s top 10 naval builders. China’s 636,208 tons still exceeded the combined construction totals reported for Russia, India and Italy.

Euronaval published the findings ahead of the 2026 edition of its naval defense show. The four day event, described as the world’s largest maritime defense exhibition, is scheduled to begin in Paris on Nov. 3.

Organizers expect the number of exhibitors at the show to be more than 40% higher than in 2024. The expected increase comes as the report documents booming global naval construction and a dramatic production lead for China over the United States.

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