Year to date · January–August 2026
186.4 million tonnes
August 2026 only
22.3 million tonnes
First port
48.4 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
126.6 million tonnes
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 186.4 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in the year to August 2026, 1% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 22.3 million tonnes, 0.5% less than in August 2025.
In August, 18 of the 28 port authorities with data improved on their August 2025 figure.
Of which, containerised cargo: 126.6 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 1.3% less than a year earlier. Valencia ranks first on this measure, with 37.7 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 48.4 million tonnes in the year to August 2026 (2.9% less than a year earlier). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (43.3 million) and Barcelona (32.1 million). Together, the three account for 66.5% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Málaga (+14.6%), Santander (+2.6%) and Barcelona (+0.2%); the steepest falls by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (−9.6%), Valencia (−2.9%) and Bahía de Algeciras (−1.9%). 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 Las Palmas (4th, 15 million, −0.8%), Baleares (5th, 10.6 million, −0.3%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (6th, 5.86 million, −9.6%), Bilbao (7th, 5.47 million, −1.2%), Vigo (8th, 3.27 million, −0.1%), Málaga (9th, 3.25 million, +14.6%) and Santander (10th, 2.5 million, +2.6%).
At the bottom of the table are A Coruña (362,330 tonnes), Melilla (307,131 tonnes) and Motril (103,222 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 80.2% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.9%. 12 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew year on year, 8 of them by double digits, and 16 fell.
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · year to date 2026
What this indicator measures
General cargo is everything shipped packed or in units: containers, ro-ro, vehicles, steel products, paper, timber and project cargo. It is the highest-value cargo and the most closely tied to foreign trade in manufactured goods, which makes it the port system’s best gauge of the real economy. Puertos del Estado splits it into containerised and conventional cargo.
Full table · 28 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Jan–Aug 2026 | YoY change | August | Monthly change | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 48.4 M | −2.9% | 5.89 M | −2.8% | 26.0% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 43.3 M | −1.9% | 5.09 M | +0.7% | 23.3% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 32.1 M | +0.2% | 3.63 M | −7.6% | 17.2% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 15 M | −0.8% | 2.17 M | +7.1% | 8.0% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 10.6 M | −0.3% | 1.33 M | +2.9% | 5.7% | Port |
| 6 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 5.86 M | −9.6% | 702,913 | +3.6% | 3.1% | Port |
| 7 | Bilbao | 5.47 M | −1.2% | 611,781 | −7.8% | 2.9% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 3.27 M | −0.1% | 382,503 | +14.5% | 1.8% | Port |
| 9 | Málaga | 3.25 M | +14.6% | 316,880 | −5.4% | 1.7% | Port |
| 10 | Santander | 2.5 M | +2.6% | 289,186 | +3.3% | 1.3% | Port |
| 11 | Pasaia | 1.73 M | +12.1% | 139,774 | +1.6% | 0.9% | Port |
| 12 | Bahía de Cádiz | 1.64 M | −1.3% | 205,466 | −1.6% | 0.9% | Port |
| 13 | Alicante | 1.32 M | +44.7% | 174,941 | +37.2% | 0.7% | Port |
| 14 | Gijón | 1.29 M | +15.6% | 172,590 | +15.8% | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Tarragona | 1.25 M | −3.9% | 141,466 | +26.4% | 0.7% | Port |
| 16 | Castellón | 1.25 M | +48.0% | 123,405 | +10.7% | 0.7% | Port |
| 17 | Sevilla | 1.16 M | +5.5% | 136,308 | +13.3% | 0.6% | Port |
| 18 | Huelva | 1.13 M | −9.7% | 134,181 | +1.9% | 0.6% | Port |
| 19 | Almería | 1.09 M | −4.6% | 107,138 | −8.8% | 0.6% | Port |
| 20 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 876,277 | +16.1% | 92,942 | +13.2% | 0.5% | Port |
| 21 | Avilés | 858,144 | −1.4% | 115,686 | +37.1% | 0.5% | Port |
| 22 | Vilagarcía | 625,766 | +16.3% | 68,933 | +6.8% | 0.3% | Port |
| 23 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 606,659 | −10.1% | 48,999 | −18.6% | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Cartagena | 562,996 | −9.2% | 56,042 | −33.7% | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Ceuta | 405,848 | −3.9% | 61,111 | +26.0% | 0.2% | Port |
| 26 | A Coruña | 362,330 | +22.1% | 34,842 | −31.9% | 0.2% | Port |
| 27 | Melilla | 307,131 | +0.9% | 39,502 | +14.1% | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Motril | 103,222 | −76.6% | 16,026 | −2.6% | 0.1% | Port |
Context
Bahía de Algeciras, Valencia and Barcelona handle most of the general cargo through their container terminals. Bilbao, Las Palmas, Santander and Vigo stand out for conventional cargo: steel, vehicles, frozen fish and project cargo.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spanish port handles the most general cargo?
Valencia, with 48.4 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 26% of the total.
How much general cargo have Spanish ports handled this year?
186.4 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 1% 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.