Year to date · January–August 2026
123.2 million tonnes
August 2026 only
16.1 million tonnes
First port
19.5 million tonnes
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 123.2 million tonnes of liquid bulk traffic in the year to August 2026, 4.3% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 16.1 million tonnes, 8% more than in August 2025.
In August, 17 of the 25 port authorities with data improved on their August 2025 figure.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 19.5 million tonnes in the year to August 2026 (2.2% more than a year earlier). It is followed by Cartagena (17 million) and Huelva (15 million). Together, the three account for 41.8% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Ferrol-San Cibrao (+30.8%), Bilbao (+16.6%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (+13.5%); the steepest falls by A Coruña (−1.0%), Cartagena (−0.6%) and Las Palmas (−0.4%). 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 Bilbao (4th, 14.6 million, +16.6%), Tarragona (5th, 13.1 million, +5.4%), Barcelona (6th, 11.4 million, +3.7%), Las Palmas (7th, 7.14 million, −0.4%), Castellón (8th, 6.35 million, +5.3%), A Coruña (9th, 6.19 million, −1.0%) and Valencia (10th, 2.66 million, +7.1%).
At the bottom of the table are Alicante (64,689 tonnes), Melilla (53,106 tonnes) and Vigo (24,980 tonnes), out of a total of 26 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 64.3% of the total and 8 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 16 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.3%. 19 of the 26 port authorities with a comparison grew year on year, 10 of them by double digits, and 7 fell.
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · year to date 2026
What this indicator measures
Liquid bulk is cargo loaded by pipeline: crude oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas, chemicals, biofuels and oils. It is the largest cargo group in the port system by weight and the one most closely tied to refineries, regasification plants and chemical terminals. Its changes reflect maintenance shutdowns and energy prices more than the economic cycle.
Full table · 28 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Jan–Aug 2026 | YoY change | August | Monthly change | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 19.5 M | +2.2% | 2.81 M | +9.6% | 15.8% | Port |
| 2 | Cartagena | 17 M | −0.6% | 1.98 M | −11.2% | 13.8% | Port |
| 3 | Huelva | 15 M | +1.6% | 2.29 M | +29.8% | 12.2% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 14.6 M | +16.6% | 1.79 M | +6.4% | 11.8% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 13.1 M | +5.4% | 1.6 M | +4.9% | 10.6% | Port |
| 6 | Barcelona | 11.4 M | +3.7% | 1.55 M | +9.4% | 9.3% | Port |
| 7 | Las Palmas | 7.14 M | −0.4% | 812,462 | +4.6% | 5.8% | Port |
| 8 | Castellón | 6.35 M | +5.3% | 823,999 | +42.1% | 5.2% | Port |
| 9 | A Coruña | 6.19 M | −1.0% | 821,773 | −8.0% | 5.0% | Port |
| 10 | Valencia | 2.66 M | +7.1% | 313,506 | +11.7% | 2.2% | Port |
| 11 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 2.48 M | +13.5% | 296,460 | +33.5% | 2.0% | Port |
| 12 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 2.07 M | +30.8% | 253,046 | +27.6% | 1.7% | Port |
| 13 | Baleares | 1.14 M | +2.2% | 188,401 | +4.3% | 0.9% | Port |
| 14 | Gijón | 1.06 M | +3.3% | 123,552 | +29.9% | 0.9% | Port |
| 15 | Motril | 932,300 | −2.5% | 101,719 | −18.4% | 0.8% | Port |
| 16 | Ceuta | 571,659 | +17.9% | 83,673 | +13.7% | 0.5% | Port |
| 17 | Bahía de Cádiz | 550,705 | −14.1% | 101,169 | +11.9% | 0.4% | Port |
| 18 | Avilés | 411,470 | +3.1% | 41,779 | −29.0% | 0.3% | Port |
| 19 | Sevilla | 409,820 | +26.0% | 41,425 | −14.3% | 0.3% | Port |
| 20 | Vilagarcía | 156,366 | −33.7% | 12,101 | −66.8% | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Santander | 139,367 | −7.5% | 8,695 | −75.3% | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Almería | 98,284 | +58.8% | 8,162 | +93.0% | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Málaga | 69,303 | +32.9% | 12,215 | — | 0.1% | Port |
| 24 | Alicante | 64,689 | +78.4% | 12,728 | +180.0% | 0.1% | Port |
| 25 | Melilla | 53,106 | +19.7% | 11,075 | +80.7% | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Vigo | 24,980 | +27.7% | 0 | −100.0% | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | — | — | — | — | — | Port |
| 28 | Pasaia | — | — | — | — | — | Port |
Context
Cartagena, Bahía de Algeciras, Huelva, Tarragona and Bilbao handle the bulk of liquid cargo thanks to their refineries (Repsol, Cepsa, Moeve, Petronor) and regasification plants. Bunker fuel supplied to ships in Algeciras, Las Palmas and Barcelona is counted separately, under supplies.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spanish port handles the most liquid bulk?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 19.5 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 15.8% of the total.
How many tonnes of liquid bulk have Spanish ports handled this year?
123.2 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 4.3% more 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.