# List of ship launches in 1996

The list of ship launches in 1996 includes a chronological list of all ships launched in 1996.
| | Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class / type | Notes |
| 6 January | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Hopper | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 8 January | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Knock Muir | Suezmax tanker | For Fred Olsen & Co. |
| 20 January | Spain | Bazan | Ferrol | Chakri Naruebet | Aircraft carrier | For Royal Thai Navy |
| 24 February | United States | Avondale Shipyard | Avondale, Louisiana | Pearl Harbor | Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship | |
| 1 March | Finland | Kvaerner Masa-Yards | Helsinki | Grandeur of the Seas | Vision-class cruise ship | For Royal Caribbean International |
| 2 March | Netherlands | Krimpen a/d, Ijssel | Van der Gissen de Noord | Stena Jutlantica | ferry | For Stena Line| |
| 9 March | United Kingdom | Yarrow Shipbuilders | Glasgow | Sutherland | Type 23 frigate | |
| 9 March | Denmark | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Knud Mærsk | K-class container ship | For Mærsk Line |
| 15 March | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Bataan | Wasp-class amphibious assault ship | |
| 19 March | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | Alphagas | LNG tanker | For Alphagas Partenreederei. |
| 22 March | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Ross | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 9 April | France | Chantiers Leroux et Lotz Naval | Saint-Malo | HSC NGV Aliso | high-speed ferry | For Société Nationale Maritime Corse-Méditerranée |
| April | Finland | Finnyards Rauma | Rauma | Stena Voyager | HSS 1500 | For Stena Line |
| 31 May | Canada | Saint John Shipbuilding | Saint John, New Brunswick | Ottawa | Halifax-class frigate | |
| May | Taiwan | China Shipbuilding | Kaohsiung | Pan Chao | Cheng Kung-class frigate | |
| 13 June | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Knock An | Tanker | For Fred Olsen & Co. |
| 21 June | Denmark | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Kate Mærsk | K-class container ship | For Mærsk Line |
| 28 June | Australia | Tenix Defence | Williamstown, Victoria | Arunta | Anzac-class frigate | |
| 29 June | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Mahan | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 29 June | Norway | Westamarin A/S | Kristiansand | Stena Carisma | HSS 900 | For Stena Line |
| 2 July | Spain | Bazans Fernando Shipyard | Cadiz | Silvia Ana L | | For Los Cipreses S.A |
| 27 July | United States | Electric Boat | Groton, Connecticut | Louisiana | Ohio-class submarine | |
| 1 August | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Seillean | SWOPS vessel | For BP. |
| 9 August | France | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | Saint-Nazaire | Rhapsody of the Seas | Vision-class cruise ship | For Royal Caribbean International |
| 24 August | United States | National Steel & Shipbuilding | San Diego, California | Bridge | Supply-class fast combat support ship | |
| 27 August | Japan | IHI Corporation | Tokyo | Chōkai | Kongō-class destroyer | |
| 7 September | United States | Newport News Shipbuilding | Newport News, Virginia | Harry S. Truman | Nimitz-class aircraft carrier | |
| 14 September | Germany | Meyer Werft | Papenburg | Galaxy | Century-class Cruise ship | For Celebrity Cruises |
| 25 September | Germany | Kötter-Werft | Haren, Germany | Evert Prahm | coastal trading vessel | IMO 9138757 |
| 4 October | Denmark | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Karen Mærsk | K-class container ship | For Mærsk Line |
| 6 October | Germany | Bremer Vulkan | Bremen | Costa Olympia | Cruise ship | For Costa Cruises |
| 13 October | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | Scott | Scott-class ocean survey vessel | For Royal Navy. |
| 15 October | Japan | | | Oyashio | Oyashio-class submarine |
| 4 November | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | Arklow Bridge | Bulk carrier | For Devon Line Ltd. |
| 5 November | Poland | Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. | Szczecin | Panaustral | container ship | |
| 8 November | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Decatur | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 13 November | Spain | Astilleros de Huelva | | Lehola | Ferry | For Estonian Shipping Co Ltd |
| 21 November | Finland | Kvaerner Masa-Yards | Helsinki | Enchantment of the Seas | Vision-class cruise ship | For Royal Caribbean International |
| 14 December | Finland | Finnyards | Rauma | Stena Discovery | HSS 1500 | For Stena Line |
| 14 December | France | DCN | Brest | Siroco | Foudre-class landing platform dock | For French Navy |
| 20 December | Denmark | Ørskov Christensen Staalskibsværft A/S | Frederikshavn | Prins Richard | Train Ferry | For Scandlines |
| Unknown date | Slovakia | Slovenske Lodenice | Komárno | Anne Scan | Cargo ship | For NORDICA Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG MS "Herford" |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Georgian | Launch | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Isambard Brunel | Pilot boat | For Bristol Ports Authority. |