According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation, 2025 will be a record year for the number of cases of crew abandonment on board ships, so-called “ghost ships” with living but abandoned sailors.
According to published ITF statistics, 410 abandonment incidents involving 6,223 seafarers were recorded during the year. Compared to 2024, the number of abandoned ships increased by 31%, and the number of injured crew members increased by 32%. This marks the sixth consecutive year of record-breaking ship losses, and the fourth for the number of abandoned crew members.
Most incidents (82%, or 337 vessels) involved ships flying Flags of Convenience (FOC). The ITF estimates that approximately 30% of the world’s merchant fleet (approximately 100,000 vessels) is registered under such flags, making it significantly easier for shipowners to avoid liability.
Experts attribute the sharp rise in this phenomenon to the expansion of the so-called “shadow fleet”—vessels often used to transport Russian and Iranian oil in defiance of sanctions. These ships often have complex ownership structures, minimal insurance coverage, and virtually no accountability to their crew.
“This is no longer just statistics, it’s a disgrace for the entire maritime industry,” said an ITF representative. “These figures represent real people: months without wages, food, fuel, or family contact, sometimes in ports where they can’t even disembark. 2025 has shown that the problem not only persists but is rapidly worsening.”
In 2025, the ITF succeeded in securing the payment of $16.5 million out of a total of $25.8 million in unpaid wages for last year’s cases alone. The organization is demanding that the IMO (International Maritime Organization) and flag states tighten controls and impose effective sanctions against shipowners who “abandon” their vessels.
Seafarers abandoned on board are increasingly referring to their vessels as “ghost ships”—they are technically still listed as sailing vessels, but in reality, they are becoming floating prisons with no hope of quick rescue.