Year to date · January–August 2026
2.32 million new vehicles
August 2026 only
239,373 new vehicles
First port
487,477 new vehicles
Passenger vehicles (the cars carried on ferries)
5.16 million vehicles
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 2.32 million new vehicles in the year to August 2026, 5.6% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 239,373 new vehicles, 14.4% more than in August 2025.
In August, 18 of the 26 port authorities with data improved on their August 2025 figure.
Passenger vehicles (the cars carried on ferries): 5.16 million vehicles in the year to August 2026, 1.3% less than a year earlier. Santa Cruz de Tenerife ranks first on this measure, with 1.3 million vehicles.
Barcelona ranks first among port authorities with 487,477 new vehicles in the year to August 2026 (4.2% more than a year earlier). It is followed by Vigo (425,424 new vehicles) and Valencia (367,287 new vehicles). Together, the three account for 55.2% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Huelva (+53.6%), Valencia (+9.3%) and Málaga (+5.9%); the steepest falls by Las Palmas (−55.5%), Pasaia (−11.0%) and Baleares (−5.4%). The comparison is limited to port authorities that account for at least 1% of the total, so that an extreme swing at a small player does not distort the picture.
The rest of the top ten are Santander (4th, 244,212 new vehicles, −3.2%), Tarragona (5th, 153,986 new vehicles, −1.4%), Las Palmas (6th, 138,159 new vehicles, −55.5%), Pasaia (7th, 120,663 new vehicles, −11.0%), Málaga (8th, 94,913 new vehicles, +5.9%), Baleares (9th, 83,580 new vehicles, −5.4%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (10th, 55,738 new vehicles, −5.1%).
At the bottom of the table are Ferrol-San Cibrao (703 new vehicles), Vilagarcía (369 new vehicles) and Cartagena (172 new vehicles), out of a total of 26 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 72.4% of the total and 7 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 16 port authorities further down share the remaining 6.3%. 14 of the 26 port authorities with a comparison grew year on year, 10 of them by double digits, and 12 fell.
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · year to date 2026
What this indicator measures
Puertos del Estado separates vehicles shipped as cargo (new vehicles exported or imported on car carriers or ro-ro ships) from vehicles travelling with passengers (the cars of ferry travellers). The first measures automotive industry logistics; the second follows passenger traffic to the Balearic and Canary Islands and across the Strait.
Full table · 28 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Jan–Aug 2026 | YoY change | August | Monthly change | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 487,477 | +4.2% | 43,951 | +2.1% | 21.0% | Port |
| 2 | Vigo | 425,424 | −2.2% | 36,559 | +21.0% | 18.4% | Port |
| 3 | Valencia | 367,287 | +9.3% | 41,894 | +33.9% | 15.8% | Port |
| 4 | Santander | 244,212 | −3.2% | 17,228 | −24.1% | 10.5% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 153,986 | −1.4% | 14,535 | −12.7% | 6.6% | Port |
| 6 | Las Palmas | 138,159 | −55.5% | 32,432 | −14.6% | 6.0% | Port |
| 7 | Pasaia | 120,663 | −11.0% | 6,866 | +10.8% | 5.2% | Port |
| 8 | Málaga | 94,913 | +5.9% | 19,863 | +215.9% | 4.1% | Port |
| 9 | Baleares | 83,580 | −5.4% | 5,325 | +101.8% | 3.6% | Port |
| 10 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 55,738 | −5.1% | 5,774 | +11.0% | 2.4% | Port |
| 11 | Huelva | 35,164 | +53.6% | 1,013 | −44.4% | 1.5% | Port |
| 12 | Sevilla | 22,116 | +135.5% | 1,903 | +266.0% | 1.0% | Port |
| 13 | Bahía de Cádiz | 20,856 | −62.2% | 5,895 | +227.9% | 0.9% | Port |
| 14 | Alicante | 19,446 | +183.6% | 650 | +42.9% | 0.8% | Port |
| 15 | Bilbao | 12,870 | −6.5% | 1,722 | +56.0% | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Motril | 9,511 | +338.7% | 2,323 | +57,975.0% | 0.4% | Port |
| 17 | Castellón | 8,814 | +8,215.1% | 4 | −73.3% | 0.4% | Port |
| 18 | Bahía de Algeciras | 4,961 | −0.6% | 632 | +4.5% | 0.2% | Port |
| 19 | Almería | 3,818 | +46.0% | 226 | +0.9% | 0.2% | Port |
| 20 | Ceuta | 3,281 | +147.4% | 133 | +41.5% | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Melilla | 1,802 | +4.4% | 299 | +48.0% | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Gijón | 1,632 | +358.4% | 6 | −96.8% | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 780 | +154.9% | 118 | +2,850.0% | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 703 | −78.4% | 0 | −100.0% | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Vilagarcía | 369 | +229.5% | 22 | +10.0% | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Cartagena | 172 | −42.9% | 0 | −100.0% | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | A Coruña | — | — | — | — | — | Port |
| 28 | Avilés | — | — | — | — | — | Port |
Context
Spain is Europe’s second-largest car manufacturer and exports most of its output by sea: Barcelona, Valencia, Santander, Pasaia, Vigo, Sagunto and Tarragona are the main vehicle ports. For passenger vehicles, the Balearic Islands, Bahía de Algeciras and Barcelona account for most ferry cars.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spanish port handles the most new vehicles?
Barcelona, with 487,477 new vehicles in the year to August 2026, 21% of the total.
How many vehicles have Spanish ports handled this year?
2.32 million new vehicles in the year to August 2026, 5.6% less than in the same period of 2025.
When is this data updated?
Puertos del Estado publishes the data every month. Latest data available: August 2026.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · cargo or see the original source.