More than 6,000 seafarers were abandoned on 410 ships in 2025, marking the worst year on record for crew abandonment in international shipping, according to figures from the International Transport Workers' Federation.
The 2025 total represents a 32% increase in abandoned seafarers and a 31% rise in ship abandonments compared to 2024, revealing a deepening crisis that labour groups say is being fuelled by the expansion of shadow fleets operating outside international regulations.
