Definition
A port call is each entry of a ship into a port to load, unload, embark passengers, refuel or receive any other service. The number of calls measures a port’s activity regardless of how much each ship handles.
The Puertos del Estado statistics count the calls of merchant ships and, alongside them, their gross tonnage (GT), which is the measure of a ship’s size. The two figures are read together: fewer calls with more gross tonnage point to larger ships, which has been the trend in containers in recent years.
Ports with many scheduled passenger services, such as those of the islands or the Strait, add up many calls by ferries that repeat the same crossing several times a day. Bulk ports receive fewer ships, but each one leaves tens of thousands of tonnes.
The figure · August 2026
Year to date · January–August 2026
108,461 merchant ship calls
August 2026 only
16,453 merchant ship calls
First port
30,258 merchant ship calls
Merchant ship calls at Spanish ports in 2026
Spanish ports received 108,461 merchant ship calls in the year to August 2026, 1.3% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 16,453 merchant ship calls, 4% more than in August 2025.
The full ranking, the trend and the table are in the indicator Merchant ship calls at Spanish ports. To explore the data in detail, see PortStats · ships by port.