Definition
Port traffic is the total number of tonnes passing through a port in a given period: the cargo that is loaded, unloaded or transhipped, plus fresh fish, ship supplies and internal traffic.
It is the figure used to measure the size of a port and the one Puertos del Estado publishes every month for the 28 port authorities. It is made up of the three main cargo types (liquid bulk, dry bulk and general cargo) and three smaller items: fresh fish, ship supplies and internal traffic.
Port traffic is counted in tonnes, so a port handling a lot of oil or ore adds up to more than one handling lighter, higher-value cargo. That is why it is read alongside other measures: TEU for containers, passengers, vehicles or ship calls.
The figure · August 2026
Year to date · January–August 2026
373 million tonnes
August 2026 only
47.5 million tonnes
First port
67.5 million tonnes
Port traffic in Spain in 2026
Spanish ports handled 373 million tonnes of total traffic in the year to August 2026, 1.1% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 47.5 million tonnes, 6.5% more than in August 2025.
The full ranking, the trend and the table are in the indicator Port traffic in Spain. To explore the data in detail, see PortStats · overview.