Year to date · January–August 2026
3.97 million tonnes
August 2026 only
521,813 tonnes
Full year 2025
6.59 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
1.1%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 3.97 million tonnes of fertilisers in the year to August 2026, 1.5% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 521,813 tonnes, 14.2% more than in August 2025.
By type of cargo, 51.1% travelled as dry bulk, 45.3% as general cargo and 3.6% as liquid bulk. The item accounts for 1.1% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in fertilisers came to 6.59 million tonnes, 7.8% more than in 2024: 4.28 million tonnes unloaded and 2.32 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 92.1% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 28 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 1.35 million tonnes in 2025 (4.4% more than in 2024). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (885,069 tonnes) and Sevilla (693,998 tonnes). Together, the three account for 44.5% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Bahía de Algeciras (+30.0%), Santander (+25.3%) and Huelva (+23.5%); the steepest falls by Castellón (−15.9%), Pasaia (−6.5%) and Las Palmas (−5.0%). 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 Santander (4th, 676,580 tonnes, +25.3%), Castellón (5th, 528,119 tonnes, −15.9%), Huelva (6th, 380,373 tonnes, +23.5%), Avilés (7th, 373,843 tonnes, −1.7%), Barcelona (8th, 253,622 tonnes, −3.4%), Cartagena (9th, 167,762 tonnes, +7.9%) and Las Palmas (10th, 160,972 tonnes, −5.0%).
At the bottom of the table are Marín y Ría de Pontevedra (127 tonnes), Melilla (85 tonnes) and Ceuta (9 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 62.8% of the total and 9 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 17%. 15 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 11 of them by double digits, and 12 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 3 are above the same month of 2025 and 5 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is down 6% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in July (down 17.2%); the highest point in the series was April, at 522,010, and the lowest June, at 461,779.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 3.94 M to 6.59 M, an increase of 67.6% over 14 years (+3.8% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2011 (3.94 M).
Top 10 · Fertilisers by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · fertilisers
Full table · 28 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 1.35 M | +4.4% | 604,026 | 20.5% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 885,069 | +30.0% | 430,037 | 13.4% | Port |
| 3 | Sevilla | 693,998 | +13.8% | 685,509 | 10.5% | Port |
| 4 | Santander | 676,580 | +25.3% | 669,258 | 10.3% | Port |
| 5 | Castellón | 528,119 | −15.9% | 341,693 | 8.0% | Port |
| 6 | Huelva | 380,373 | +23.5% | 115,772 | 5.8% | Port |
| 7 | Avilés | 373,843 | −1.7% | 66,416 | 5.7% | Port |
| 8 | Barcelona | 253,622 | −3.4% | 144,457 | 3.8% | Port |
| 9 | Cartagena | 167,762 | +7.9% | 151,191 | 2.5% | Port |
| 10 | Las Palmas | 160,972 | −5.0% | 94,020 | 2.4% | Port |
| 11 | Pasaia | 147,483 | −6.5% | 147,483 | 2.2% | Port |
| 12 | Motril | 141,215 | +21.5% | 101,290 | 2.1% | Port |
| 13 | Almería | 134,798 | +11.7% | 124,417 | 2.0% | Port |
| 14 | Bilbao | 132,116 | −1.3% | 123,582 | 2.0% | Port |
| 15 | Bahía de Cádiz | 102,737 | −3.7% | 70,871 | 1.6% | Port |
| 16 | Vilagarcía | 97,116 | +3.1% | 96,757 | 1.5% | Port |
| 17 | A Coruña | 65,820 | +31.1% | 65,820 | 1.0% | Port |
| 18 | Málaga | 59,319 | +2.0% | 25,617 | 0.9% | Port |
| 19 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 53,825 | +11.7% | 41,285 | 0.8% | Port |
| 20 | Tarragona | 53,801 | −6.2% | 53,523 | 0.8% | Port |
| 21 | Alicante | 53,478 | +48.4% | 45,822 | 0.8% | Port |
| 22 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 39,376 | −14.5% | 39,196 | 0.6% | Port |
| 23 | Baleares | 20,873 | −12.5% | 20,641 | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Gijón | 13,589 | −49.9% | 12,833 | 0.2% | Port |
| 25 | Vigo | 3,964 | −70.3% | 3,283 | 0.1% | Port |
| 26 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 127 | +309.7% | 127 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Melilla | 85 | +73.5% | 85 | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Ceuta | 9 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Nitrogen, phosphate and compound fertilisers, as dry bulk, liquid bulk or in bags. The statistics count phosphates and potash separately. 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
Fertiliser plants and terminals are spread across ports such as Huelva, Castellón, Sevilla and Santander, and part of the cargo travels in containers through Valencia and Bahía de Algeciras. Traffic is seasonal, tied to the farming calendar, and sensitive to the price of the natural gas used to make nitrogen fertilisers.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of fertilisers have Spanish ports handled this year?
3.97 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 1.5% less than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most fertilisers?
Valencia, with 1.35 million tonnes in 2025, 20.5% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
By type of cargo, 51.1% travelled as dry bulk, 45.3% as general cargo and 3.6% 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.