What was the gross tonnage of the Titanic?

The Titanic had a gross register tonnage of 46,328 gross register tons.

Gross register tonnage measured the enclosed internal volume of a ship, rather than its weight. One gross register ton represented 100 cubic feet of enclosed space, so the figure reflected the Titanic’s vast passenger areas, cabins, machinery spaces, corridors, and other enclosed compartments.

The number is often casually described as the ship’s “weight,” but that is inaccurate. The Titanic’s displacement—the mass of water she displaced—was about 52,310 tons at a draught of 34 feet 7 inches. Gross register tonnage and displacement were different measurements used for different purposes.

With 46,328 gross register tons, the Titanic was slightly larger by this measure than her sister ship Olympic, which originally registered at about 45,324 tons. The Titanic’s enclosed B Deck promenade areas and expanded restaurant contributed to the difference. Modern gross tonnage is calculated under a later international system, so modern figures should not be directly compared with the Titanic’s historical GRT.