2017 total
252.5 million tonnes
First port · 2017
67.8 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
181.5 million tonnes
The 2017 balance
Spanish ports handled 252.5 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2017, 7% more than in 2016 (16.4 million more). This is the year-end balance according to Puertos del Estado’s monthly statistics, with December data for the 28 port authorities.
The high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 278.8 million tonnes: 2017 was 9.5% below it and ranks 9th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2017 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
In the 2017 ranking, the ports moving up on 2016 are Valencia (from 2nd to 1st) and Pasaia (from 11th to 10th); those moving down are Bahía de Algeciras (from 1st to 2nd).
Of which, containerised cargo: 181.5 million tonnes in 2017, 7.8% more than in 2016. Bahía de Algeciras ranks first on this measure, with 57.6 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 67.8 million tonnes in 2017 (4.8% more than in 2016). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (65.5 million) and Barcelona (41.1 million). Together, the three account for 69.1% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Barcelona (+29.9%), Las Palmas (+25.1%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (+15.8%); the steepest falls by Bahía de Algeciras (−3.4%). 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 Las Palmas (4th, 16.9 million, +25.1%), Baleares (5th, 12.2 million, +5.7%), Bilbao (6th, 9.87 million, +3.9%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (7th, 7.39 million, +15.8%), Vigo (8th, 3.64 million, +2.0%), Castellón (9th, 3.58 million, +2.7%) and Pasaia (10th, 2.09 million, −9.1%).
At the bottom of the table are Motril (774,764 tonnes), Almería (639,714 tonnes) and Vilagarcía (586,971 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 80.6% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.9%. 20 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2016, 8 of them by double digits, and 8 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2017 with data, 11 are above the same month of 2016 and 1 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 7.5% on the same months of 2016; the largest year-on-year difference was in May (up 12.3%); the highest point in the series was May, at 23.2 M, and the lowest February, at 17.9 M.
Between 2012 and 2017 the figure went from 219.1 M to 252.5 M, an increase of 15.2% over 5 years (+2.9% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2013 (213.4 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2017
Month by month · 2017 vs 2016
Annual series, 2012–2017
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2017
| # | Port authorities | 2017 | Change on 2016 | 2016 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 67.8 M | +4.8% | 64.7 M | 26.8% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 65.5 M | −3.4% | 67.8 M | 25.9% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 41.1 M | +29.9% | 31.7 M | 16.3% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 16.9 M | +25.1% | 13.5 M | 6.7% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 12.2 M | +5.7% | 11.6 M | 4.9% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 9.87 M | +3.9% | 9.5 M | 3.9% | Port |
| 7 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 7.39 M | +15.8% | 6.39 M | 2.9% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 3.64 M | +2.0% | 3.57 M | 1.4% | Port |
| 9 | Castellón | 3.58 M | +2.7% | 3.49 M | 1.4% | Port |
| 10 | Pasaia | 2.09 M | −9.1% | 2.29 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 11 | Tarragona | 2.08 M | +4.3% | 1.99 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 12 | Sevilla | 1.9 M | −17.7% | 2.31 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 13 | Santander | 1.89 M | +2.0% | 1.85 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 14 | Bahía de Cádiz | 1.66 M | +24.9% | 1.33 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Gijón | 1.62 M | +7.7% | 1.5 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.59 M | +24.4% | 1.27 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | Cartagena | 1.53 M | +10.0% | 1.39 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 18 | Alicante | 1.5 M | +0.6% | 1.49 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 19 | Avilés | 1.21 M | −10.9% | 1.36 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 20 | Melilla | 1.06 M | +0.2% | 1.06 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Málaga | 986,865 | +5.0% | 939,589 | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | A Coruña | 914,720 | −9.6% | 1.01 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 23 | Ceuta | 868,829 | −16.2% | 1.04 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Huelva | 785,447 | +61.7% | 485,784 | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 779,423 | +3.2% | 755,200 | 0.3% | Port |
| 26 | Motril | 774,764 | +53.4% | 505,069 | 0.3% | Port |
| 27 | Almería | 639,714 | −4.0% | 666,391 | 0.3% | Port |
| 28 | Vilagarcía | 586,971 | −2.3% | 601,069 | 0.2% | Port |
What this indicator measures
General cargo is everything shipped packed or in units: containers, ro-ro, vehicles, steel products, paper, timber and project cargo. It is the highest-value cargo and the most closely tied to foreign trade in manufactured goods, which makes it the port system’s best gauge of the real economy. Puertos del Estado splits it into containerised and conventional cargo.
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by general cargo traffic in 2017?
Valencia, with 67.8 million tonnes in 2017, 26.8% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2017?
252.5 million tonnes in 2017, 7% more than in 2016.
Was 2017 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2017, 252.5 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 278.8 million tonnes.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · general cargo by type, annual series or see the original source.