Year to date · January–August 2026
7.98 million tonnes
August 2026 only
872,787 tonnes
Full year 2025
10.3 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
2.2%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 7.98 million tonnes of fruit, vegetables and pulses in the year to August 2026, 14.7% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 872,787 tonnes, 19.5% more than in August 2025.
By type of cargo, 99.2% travelled as general cargo and 0.8% as dry bulk. The item accounts for 2.2% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in fruit, vegetables and pulses came to 10.3 million tonnes, 9.2% less than in 2024: 6.81 million tonnes unloaded and 3.45 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 81.4% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 25 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 4.31 million tonnes in 2025 (12.2% less than in 2024). It is followed by Valencia (1.71 million) and Las Palmas (1.03 million). Together, the three account for 68.6% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Málaga (+70.8%), Gijón (+42.8%) and Almería (+30.1%); the steepest falls by Tarragona (−32.1%), Motril (−25.7%) and Bahía de Algeciras (−12.2%). 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (4th, 586,943 tonnes, −0.8%), Barcelona (5th, 525,568 tonnes, −8.0%), Bahía de Cádiz (6th, 369,533 tonnes, −9.0%), Vigo (7th, 282,881 tonnes, −3.8%), Tarragona (8th, 187,929 tonnes, −32.1%), Huelva (9th, 175,754 tonnes, +8.8%) and Málaga (10th, 158,048 tonnes, +70.8%).
At the bottom of the table are Vilagarcía (3,590 tonnes), Ferrol-San Cibrao (2,234 tonnes) and Ceuta (661 tonnes), out of a total of 25 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 79.5% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 15 port authorities further down share the remaining 9.1%. 8 of the 24 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 6 of them by double digits, and 16 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 7 are above the same month of 2025 and 1 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is up 21.7% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in July (up 25.5%); the highest point in the series was April, at 1.18 M, and the lowest January, at 844,492.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 7.81 M to 10.3 M, an increase of 31.3% over 14 years (+2.0% a year on average). The best year was 2021 (12.1 M) and the worst 2011 (7.81 M).
Top 10 · Fruit, vegetables and pulses by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · fruit, vegetables and pulses
Full table · 25 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 4.31 M | −12.2% | 3.24 M | 42.0% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 1.71 M | −10.3% | 935,234 | 16.6% | Port |
| 3 | Las Palmas | 1.03 M | −6.3% | 562,332 | 10.0% | Port |
| 4 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 586,943 | −0.8% | 230,257 | 5.7% | Port |
| 5 | Barcelona | 525,568 | −8.0% | 288,356 | 5.1% | Port |
| 6 | Bahía de Cádiz | 369,533 | −9.0% | 203,185 | 3.6% | Port |
| 7 | Vigo | 282,881 | −3.8% | 261,544 | 2.8% | Port |
| 8 | Tarragona | 187,929 | −32.1% | 185,062 | 1.8% | Port |
| 9 | Huelva | 175,754 | +8.8% | 108,458 | 1.7% | Port |
| 10 | Málaga | 158,048 | +70.8% | 104,611 | 1.5% | Port |
| 11 | Almería | 137,128 | +30.1% | 127,785 | 1.3% | Port |
| 12 | Motril | 122,803 | −25.7% | 121,722 | 1.2% | Port |
| 13 | Baleares | 116,063 | +6.4% | 81,123 | 1.1% | Port |
| 14 | Gijón | 108,186 | +42.8% | 107,929 | 1.1% | Port |
| 15 | Bilbao | 106,518 | −0.6% | 6,265 | 1.0% | Port |
| 16 | Santander | 84,487 | +30.3% | 35,210 | 0.8% | Port |
| 17 | Alicante | 74,486 | −3.3% | 53,899 | 0.7% | Port |
| 18 | Sevilla | 60,226 | −13.9% | 43,577 | 0.6% | Port |
| 19 | Cartagena | 51,951 | −66.8% | 47,884 | 0.5% | Port |
| 20 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 37,060 | +90.9% | 37,055 | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Castellón | 17,289 | −52.0% | 15,391 | 0.2% | Port |
| 22 | Melilla | 10,696 | −6.0% | 10,696 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Vilagarcía | 3,590 | +200.4% | 1,953 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 2,234 | — | 1,117 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Ceuta | 661 | −44.5% | 661 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Fruit, vegetables and pulses, which travel in refrigerated containers or on lorries carried by ro-ro ships. 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
This is export, import and transhipment traffic: Spanish citrus and vegetables leave through Valencia and other Mediterranean ports, the islands receive much of what they consume by sea, and Bahía de Algeciras channels Moroccan fruit and vegetables crossing the Strait by lorry, as well as transhipped refrigerated containers.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of fruit, vegetables and pulses have Spanish ports handled this year?
7.98 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 14.7% more than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most fruit, vegetables and pulses?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 4.31 million tonnes in 2025, 42% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
By type of cargo, 99.2% travelled as general cargo and 0.8% as dry 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.