The number of orders won by South Korean shipbuilders fell 36 percent last year as global demand for new ships shrank due to a tumble in oil prices, industry data showed Friday.

The data by global market researcher Clarkson Research Services said South Korean shipbuilding companies took orders totaling 11.78 million compensated gross tons, or 305 ships, ranking it second in the industry for the fifth consecutive year. China retained its top ranking for the same period.

The plunge in oil prices caused new orders for ships worldwide to fall 34.7 percent to 39.70 million CGTs last year compared with 2013, the data said.

Market share for South Korean companies came to 29.7 percent in 2014, falling from the preceding year when it was 30.5 percent. (Yonhap)