Spain’s connectivity index (LSCI)
407 points
Best-connected Spanish port
568.7 points
Spanish ports in the world top 100
4 ports
Spanish ports with an index
27 ports
What the data say · Q3 2026
Spain has a maritime connectivity index of 407 points in the third quarter of 2026, 3.4% less than a year earlier, which places it 8th in the world.
4 of the 27 Spanish ports with an index are among the hundred best-connected ports in the world. The index uses a base of 100 for the world average in Q1 2023: the higher it is, the more services, carriers and direct connections.
Valencia ranks first among ports with 568.7 points in the third quarter of 2026 (3% less than a year earlier). It is followed by Algeciras (486.5 points) and Barcelona (471.1 points).
The largest increases were recorded by Ceuta (+116.3%), Bilbao (+27.1%) and Huelva (+12.3%); the steepest falls by Ferrol (−40.9%), Marín (−37.6%) and Gijón (−15.7%).
The rest of the top ten are Las Palmas (4th, 260.4 points, −11.5%), Málaga (5th, 137.7 points, −14.5%), Bilbao (6th, 130.1 points, +27.1%), Vigo (7th, 109.9 points, −11.9%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (8th, 102.6 points, −5.0%), Castellón (9th, 89.4 points, +3.9%) and Arrecife (10th, 53.2 points, +2.7%).
At the bottom of the table are Marín (10.5 points), Almería (10.3 points) and Avilés (10.2 points), out of a total of 27 ports with data.
The highest point in the series was the first quarter of 2025, at 428.1, and the lowest the fourth quarter of 2022, at 394.3.
Top 10 · Spanish ports by connectivity index (PLSCI)
Spain’s connectivity index by quarter
Full table · 27 ports
| # | Ports | PLSCI index | YoY change | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 568.7 | −3.0% | 27th |
| 2 | Algeciras | 486.5 | −6.2% | 36th |
| 3 | Barcelona | 471.1 | −0.5% | 38th |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 260.4 | −11.5% | 81st |
| 5 | Málaga | 137.7 | −14.5% | 193rd |
| 6 | Bilbao | 130.1 | +27.1% | 206th |
| 7 | Vigo | 109.9 | −11.9% | 232nd |
| 8 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 102.6 | −5.0% | 245th |
| 9 | Castellón | 89.4 | +3.9% | 278th |
| 10 | Arrecife | 53.2 | +2.7% | 390th |
| 11 | Cádiz | 49.7 | +1.9% | 404th |
| 12 | Huelva | 49.4 | +12.3% | 406th |
| 13 | Alicante | 48.3 | +1.2% | 414th |
| 14 | Gijón | 36.1 | −15.7% | 485th |
| 15 | Puerto Del Rosario | 30.5 | +4.8% | 518th |
| 16 | Sagunto | 30.4 | 0.0% | 521st |
| 17 | Cartagena | 28.9 | −10.5% | 530th |
| 18 | Santander | 26.1 | 0.0% | 561st |
| 19 | Ceuta | 23.9 | +116.3% | 592nd |
| 20 | Vilagarcía | 21.3 | −8.4% | 619th |
| 21 | Santa Cruz de La Palma | 19.8 | +0.3% | 644th |
| 22 | Ferrol | 17.7 | −40.9% | 668th |
| 23 | Sevilla | 13 | 0.0% | 743rd |
| 24 | Tarragona | 11.3 | +6.9% | 791st |
| 25 | Marín | 10.5 | −37.6% | 830th |
| 26 | Almería | 10.3 | −5.8% | 836th |
| 27 | Avilés | 10.2 | 0.0% | 840th |
What this indicator measures
UNCTAD’s Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (PLSCI) measures every quarter how well connected a port is to the global network of container services: number of services and carriers, ship size, weekly capacity and number of ports with a direct connection. It is expressed with the world average in Q1 2023 = 100. A higher index means more options and frequencies to import and export.
Context
Algeciras, Valencia and Barcelona are among the world’s twenty best-connected ports and Europe’s top five, thanks to their position on Asia–Europe routes and transhipment services to Africa and the Americas. Las Palmas is the gateway to West Africa and Bilbao the best-connected port on the Bay of Biscay. Tanger Med and Gibraltar are not part of the Spanish series.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best-connected Spanish port?
Valencia, with 568.7 points in the third quarter of 2026.
What is Spain’s connectivity index as a country?
407 points in the third quarter of 2026, 3.4% less than a year earlier.
When is this data updated?
UNCTAD publishes the data every quarter. Latest data available: Q3 2026.
Source
UNCTAD. To explore the data in detail, use Connectivity or see the original source.