Year to date · January–August 2026
40.5 million tonnes
August 2026 only
5.37 million tonnes
Full year 2025
60.8 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
11.2%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 40.5 million tonnes of crude oil in the year to August 2026, 1.6% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 5.37 million tonnes, 5.9% more than in August 2025.
Virtually all of it travelled as liquid bulk. The item accounts for 11.2% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in crude oil came to 60.8 million tonnes, 5.9% less than in 2024: 60.8 million tonnes unloaded and 2,067 tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 99.7% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 14 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Cartagena ranks first among port authorities with 14 million tonnes in 2025 (6.1% less than in 2024). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (10.3 million) and Tarragona (8.98 million). Together, the three account for 54.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Castellón (+11.6%) and Bahía de Algeciras (+1.1%); the steepest falls by Bilbao (−13.6%), Huelva (−12.0%) and Tarragona (−9.9%). 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 Bilbao (4th, 8.49 million, −13.6%), Huelva (5th, 8.4 million, −12.0%), A Coruña (6th, 5.39 million, −0.9%), Castellón (7th, 5.23 million, +11.6%), Barcelona (8th, 1,433 tonnes, +32.6%), Baleares (9th, 1,269 tonnes, +12.7%) and Las Palmas (10th, 741 tonnes, −60.3%).
At the bottom of the table are Santa Cruz de Tenerife (322 tonnes), Santander (44 tonnes) and Sevilla (36 tonnes), out of a total of 14 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 82.5% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 4 port authorities further down share the remaining 0%. 6 of the 13 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 5 of them by double digits, and 7 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 4 are above the same month of 2025 and 4 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is up 3.5% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in June (up 15%); the highest point in the series was April, at 5.48 M, and the lowest January, at 4.33 M.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 53.6 M to 60.8 M, an increase of 13.3% over 14 years (+0.9% a year on average). The best year was 2018 (67.8 M) and the worst 2011 (53.6 M).
Top 10 · Crude oil by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · crude oil
Full table · 14 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cartagena | 14 M | −6.1% | 14 M | 23.0% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 10.3 M | +1.1% | 10.3 M | 17.0% | Port |
| 3 | Tarragona | 8.98 M | −9.9% | 8.98 M | 14.8% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 8.49 M | −13.6% | 8.49 M | 14.0% | Port |
| 5 | Huelva | 8.4 M | −12.0% | 8.4 M | 13.8% | Port |
| 6 | A Coruña | 5.39 M | −0.9% | 5.39 M | 8.9% | Port |
| 7 | Castellón | 5.23 M | +11.6% | 5.23 M | 8.6% | Port |
| 8 | Barcelona | 1,433 | +32.6% | 1,171 | 0.0% | Port |
| 9 | Baleares | 1,269 | +12.7% | 360 | 0.0% | Port |
| 10 | Las Palmas | 741 | −60.3% | 401 | 0.0% | Port |
| 11 | Valencia | 524 | −38.9% | 440 | 0.0% | Port |
| 12 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 322 | +366.7% | 35 | 0.0% | Port |
| 13 | Santander | 44 | — | 22 | 0.0% | Port |
| 14 | Sevilla | 36 | +3,500.0% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Crude oil is the feedstock for refineries and moves almost entirely as liquid bulk, in tankers. Puertos del Estado publishes every month the tonnes of this commodity loaded, unloaded or in transit across all ports of general interest, as a cumulative figure since January, and once a year the breakdown by port authority. Figures for the current year are provisional until the yearbook is published.
Context
Spain produces hardly any crude oil, so almost all of it arrives by sea at ports with a refinery: Cartagena, Bahía de Algeciras (San Roque), Tarragona, Bilbao, Huelva, Castellón and A Coruña. Traffic depends on refinery maintenance shutdowns and changes of supplier, and it is the largest item in the port system’s liquid bulk.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of crude oil have Spanish ports handled this year?
40.5 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 1.6% more than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most crude oil?
Cartagena, with 14 million tonnes in 2025, 23% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
Virtually all of it travelled as liquid bulk in the year to August 2026.
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 by commodity, annual series or see the original source.