Year to date · January–August 2026
15.9 million tonnes
August 2026 only
2.01 million tonnes
Full year 2025
25.2 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
4.4%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 15.9 million tonnes of diesel in the year to August 2026, 3% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 2.01 million tonnes, 2.8% more than in August 2025.
Virtually all of it travelled as liquid bulk. The item accounts for 4.4% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in diesel came to 25.2 million tonnes, 5.5% more than in 2024: 14 million tonnes unloaded and 11.2 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 62.1% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 22 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Las Palmas ranks first among port authorities with 6.34 million tonnes in 2025 (56.5% more than in 2024). It is followed by Bilbao (2.9 million) and Barcelona (2.54 million). Together, the three account for 46.8% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Ceuta (+95.7%), Las Palmas (+56.5%) and Valencia (+46.6%); the steepest falls by Tarragona (−41.4%), Cartagena (−19.9%) and Bilbao (−15.4%). 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 Cartagena (4th, 2.54 million, −19.9%), Bahía de Algeciras (5th, 2.04 million, −2.2%), Huelva (6th, 1.83 million, +23.2%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (7th, 1.32 million, −0.5%), A Coruña (8th, 1.24 million, −15.0%), Motril (9th, 1.02 million, +12.4%) and Tarragona (10th, 879,461 tonnes, −41.4%).
At the bottom of the table are Bahía de Cádiz (6,947 tonnes), Alicante (3,926 tonnes) and Santander (21 tonnes), out of a total of 22 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 65% of the total and 8 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 12 port authorities further down share the remaining 10%. 13 of the 21 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 11 of them by double digits, and 8 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 down 3.2% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in July (down 22.7%); the highest point in the series was June, at 2.11 M, and the lowest February, at 1.86 M.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 18.3 M to 25.2 M, an increase of 37.9% over 14 years (+2.3% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2013 (16.6 M).
Top 10 · Diesel by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · diesel
Full table · 22 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Palmas | 6.34 M | +56.5% | 3.95 M | 25.2% | Port |
| 2 | Bilbao | 2.9 M | −15.4% | 2.34 M | 11.5% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 2.54 M | +6.9% | 2.15 M | 10.1% | Port |
| 4 | Cartagena | 2.54 M | −19.9% | 350,111 | 10.1% | Port |
| 5 | Bahía de Algeciras | 2.04 M | −2.2% | 404,290 | 8.1% | Port |
| 6 | Huelva | 1.83 M | +23.2% | 78,012 | 7.3% | Port |
| 7 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1.32 M | −0.5% | 1.14 M | 5.3% | Port |
| 8 | A Coruña | 1.24 M | −15.0% | 205,135 | 4.9% | Port |
| 9 | Motril | 1.02 M | +12.4% | 966,532 | 4.1% | Port |
| 10 | Tarragona | 879,461 | −41.4% | 473,837 | 3.5% | Port |
| 11 | Baleares | 608,205 | +10.3% | 602,275 | 2.4% | Port |
| 12 | Castellón | 605,868 | +25.2% | 51,636 | 2.4% | Port |
| 13 | Gijón | 440,695 | −11.4% | 440,642 | 1.8% | Port |
| 14 | Ceuta | 357,534 | +95.7% | 345,863 | 1.4% | Port |
| 15 | Valencia | 345,632 | +46.6% | 342,141 | 1.4% | Port |
| 16 | Vilagarcía | 107,937 | +97.7% | 107,937 | 0.4% | Port |
| 17 | Málaga | 16,269 | +63.5% | 12,263 | 0.1% | Port |
| 18 | Melilla | 12,467 | +2.2% | 12,467 | 0.0% | Port |
| 19 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 11,758 | −57.9% | 11,745 | 0.0% | Port |
| 20 | Bahía de Cádiz | 6,947 | +589.2% | 3,849 | 0.0% | Port |
| 21 | Alicante | 3,926 | +1,778.5% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 22 | Santander | 21 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Diesel (gas oil in the statistics) is the fuel used by road vehicles, farming and industry; it moves as liquid bulk between refineries, storage terminals and foreign markets. 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 consumes more diesel than its refineries produce, so ports receive imported product and redistribute refinery output by coastal shipping, including to the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. Ports with a refinery and large storage facilities account for most of the traffic.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of diesel have Spanish ports handled this year?
15.9 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 3% less than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most diesel?
Las Palmas, with 6.34 million tonnes in 2025, 25.2% 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.