First port in Europe · PLSCI index
918 points
First Spanish port on the list
568.7 points
Spanish ports in the top 50
6 ports
Ports in Europe with an index
260 ports
What the data say · Q3 2026
Rotterdam (Netherlands) ranks first among ports in Europe with 918 points in the third quarter of 2026 (3.6% less than a year earlier). It is followed by Antwerp (Belgium) (912.7 points) and Hamburg (Germany) (682.9 points).
The largest increases were recorded by Bilbao (Spain) (+27.1%), Naples (Italy) (+24.3%) and Limassol (Cyprus) (+22.2%); the steepest falls by Sines (Portugal) (−27.3%), St Petersburg (Russia) (−17.5%) and Málaga (Spain) (−14.5%).
The rest of the top ten are Valencia (Spain) (4th, 568.7 points, −3.0%), Bremerhaven (Germany) (5th, 522.1 points, +4.8%), Algeciras (Spain) (6th, 486.5 points, −6.2%), Ambarli (Türkiye) (7th, 481.6 points, −8.3%), Barcelona (Spain) (8th, 471.1 points, −0.5%), Le Havre (France) (9th, 432.4 points, −5.0%) and Piraeus (Greece) (10th, 427.6 points, −3.0%).
UNCTAD publishes a connectivity index for 260 ports in Europe in the third quarter of 2026; this page ranks the top 50. The index measures container services, carriers, capacity and direct connections, not the tonnes or TEU each port handles.
The port in tenth place has 427.6 points and the one in 50th place, 122 points. Of the 50 ports in the table with a comparison, 22 have a higher index than a year earlier and 28 a lower or unchanged one.
By country, the top twenty positions break down as follows: Türkiye (4), Italy (3), Spain (3), United Kingdom (3), France (2) and Germany (2); the remaining 3 positions go to 3 different countries.
The best-placed Spanish ports in the top 50 in Europe are Valencia (4th in Europe and 27th in the world, 568.7 points), Algeciras (6th in Europe and 36th in the world, 486.5 points) and Barcelona (8th in Europe and 38th in the world, 471.1 points). In all, 6 Spanish ports are on the list.
Top 10 · Ports in Europe by connectivity index (PLSCI) · Q3 2026
What this indicator measures
UNCTAD’s Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (PLSCI) ranks ports every quarter by how well they are connected to the global network of container services: number of services and carriers, deployed capacity, size of the largest ship and ports with a direct connection. Its base is 100 for the world average in the first quarter of 2023. It is not a ranking by TEU: it measures how many transport options a port offers, not how much cargo it handles, although the large container ports tend to be near the top of both lists.
Full table · 50 ports in Europe
| # | Ports in Europe | PLSCI index | YoY change | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotterdam (Netherlands) | 918 | −3.6% | 10th |
| 2 | Antwerp (Belgium) | 912.7 | +3.8% | 11th |
| 3 | Hamburg (Germany) | 682.9 | −2.3% | 19th |
| 4 | Valencia (Spain) | 568.7 | −3.0% | 27th |
| 5 | Bremerhaven (Germany) | 522.1 | +4.8% | 33rd |
| 6 | Algeciras (Spain) | 486.5 | −6.2% | 36th |
| 7 | Ambarli (Türkiye) | 481.6 | −8.3% | 37th |
| 8 | Barcelona (Spain) | 471.1 | −0.5% | 38th |
| 9 | Le Havre (France) | 432.4 | −5.0% | 43rd |
| 10 | Piraeus (Greece) | 427.6 | −3.0% | 44th |
| 11 | Genoa (Italy) | 413.1 | −3.3% | 45th |
| 12 | London Gateway (United Kingdom) | 359.7 | +2.0% | 50th |
| 13 | Aliaga (Nemrut) (Türkiye) | 354.6 | +10.7% | 52nd |
| 14 | Mersin (Türkiye) | 348.6 | +6.6% | 54th |
| 15 | Felixstowe (United Kingdom) | 327.1 | −4.1% | 57th |
| 16 | Fos (France) | 325.6 | +18.9% | 58th |
| 17 | Gioia Tauro (Italy) | 309.8 | −5.6% | 63rd |
| 18 | Southampton (United Kingdom) | 307.9 | −7.3% | 64th |
| 19 | La Spezia (Italy) | 304.8 | +13.9% | 66th |
| 20 | Izmit Korfezi (Türkiye) | 301.8 | +13.0% | 70th |
| 21 | Las Palmas (Spain) | 260.4 | −11.5% | 81st |
| 22 | Iskenderun (Türkiye) | 257.4 | −13.6% | 84th |
| 23 | Gdansk (Poland) | 243.6 | −0.2% | 93rd |
| 24 | Marsaxlokk (Malta) | 243.3 | −4.8% | 94th |
| 25 | Gemlik (Türkiye) | 236.6 | −8.1% | 96th |
| 26 | Tekirdag (Türkiye) | 222.2 | −4.6% | 102nd |
| 27 | Wilhelmshaven (Germany) | 217 | +9.1% | 109th |
| 28 | Zeebrugge (Belgium) | 211.2 | −13.5% | 112th |
| 29 | Sines (Portugal) | 208.7 | −27.3% | 115th |
| 30 | Klaipeda (Lithuania) | 206.8 | +9.0% | 116th |
| 31 | Koper (Slovenia) | 191.2 | +8.6% | 129th |
| 32 | Salerno (Italy) | 190 | −10.7% | 130th |
| 33 | Gdynia (Poland) | 189.8 | +4.4% | 131st |
| 34 | Leixoes (Portugal) | 179.1 | +6.7% | 139th |
| 35 | Dunkirk (France) | 170.6 | −1.2% | 149th |
| 36 | Aarhus (Denmark) | 169.9 | +3.2% | 150th |
| 37 | Naples (Italy) | 169.5 | +24.3% | 152nd |
| 38 | Lisbon (Portugal) | 169.1 | +9.8% | 153rd |
| 39 | Gothenburg (Sweden) | 159.9 | −0.6% | 165th |
| 40 | Leghorn (Italy) | 159.6 | +4.4% | 167th |
| 41 | Liverpool (GB) (United Kingdom) | 157.2 | −7.5% | 171st |
| 42 | Rijeka (Croatia) | 150.2 | +17.9% | 182nd |
| 43 | Limassol (Cyprus) | 149.7 | +22.2% | 183rd |
| 44 | Trieste (Italy) | 147.2 | −4.3% | 186th |
| 45 | St Petersburg (Russia) | 145.1 | −17.5% | 189th |
| 46 | Gebze (Türkiye) | 138.7 | −2.3% | 191st |
| 47 | Málaga (Spain) | 137.7 | −14.5% | 193rd |
| 48 | Izmir (Türkiye) | 133.1 | +8.3% | 202nd |
| 49 | Bilbao (Spain) | 130.1 | +27.1% | 206th |
| 50 | Venice (Italy) | 122 | +3.9% | 216th |
Context
Europe has two large container ranges: the North Sea arc, with Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg and Bremerhaven, and the Mediterranean, where Valencia, Algeciras, Barcelona, Piraeus, Genoa and the Turkish ports on the Sea of Marmara receive Asia–Europe services. The ranking covers the continent’s coastal states, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best-connected port in Europe?
Rotterdam (Netherlands), with 918 points in the third quarter of 2026.
Which three ports hold the top positions?
Rotterdam (Netherlands) (918 points), Antwerp (Belgium) (912.7 points) and Hamburg (Germany) (682.9 points) in the third quarter of 2026.
Where do Spanish ports rank?
The best-placed Spanish ports in the top 50 in Europe are Valencia (4th in Europe and 27th in the world, 568.7 points), Algeciras (6th in Europe and 36th in the world, 486.5 points) and Barcelona (8th in Europe and 38th in the world, 471.1 points).
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 · Europe or see the original source.