2018 total
267.4 million tonnes
First port · 2018
72 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
191 million tonnes
The 2018 balance
Spanish ports handled 267.4 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2018, 5.9% more than in 2017 (14.9 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: 2018 was 4.1% below it and ranks 7th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2018 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
In the 2018 ranking, the ports moving up on 2017 are Santander (from 13th to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Of which, containerised cargo: 191 million tonnes in 2018, 5.3% more than in 2017. Bahía de Algeciras ranks first on this measure, with 60.6 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 72 million tonnes in 2018 (6.2% more than in 2017). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (69.1 million) and Barcelona (46.3 million). Together, the three account for 70.1% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Barcelona (+12.7%), Baleares (+7.0%) and Valencia (+6.2%); the steepest falls by Castellón (−8.2%) and Las Palmas (−1.3%). 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, 16.7 million, −1.3%), Baleares (5th, 13.1 million, +7.0%), Bilbao (6th, 10.3 million, +4.7%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (7th, 7.41 million, +0.3%), Vigo (8th, 3.77 million, +3.6%), Castellón (9th, 3.29 million, −8.2%) and Santander (10th, 2.3 million, +22.0%).
At the bottom of the table are Ferrol-San Cibrao (762,075 tonnes), Vilagarcía (591,552 tonnes) and Almería (584,505 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 81.2% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.6%. 18 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2017, 6 of them by double digits, and 10 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2018 with data, 11 are above the same month of 2017 and 1 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 4.3% on the same months of 2017; the largest year-on-year difference was in February (up 14.8%); the highest point in the series was May, at 24.5 M, and the lowest January, at 20.4 M.
Between 2012 and 2018 the figure went from 219.1 M to 267.4 M, an increase of 22% over 6 years (+3.4% 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 · 2018
Month by month · 2018 vs 2017
Annual series, 2012–2018
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2018
| # | Port authorities | 2018 | Change on 2017 | 2017 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 72 M | +6.2% | 67.8 M | 26.9% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 69.1 M | +5.5% | 65.5 M | 25.8% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 46.3 M | +12.7% | 41.1 M | 17.3% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 16.7 M | −1.3% | 16.9 M | 6.3% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 13.1 M | +7.0% | 12.2 M | 4.9% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 10.3 M | +4.7% | 9.87 M | 3.9% | Port |
| 7 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 7.41 M | +0.3% | 7.39 M | 2.8% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 3.77 M | +3.6% | 3.64 M | 1.4% | Port |
| 9 | Castellón | 3.29 M | −8.2% | 3.58 M | 1.2% | Port |
| 10 | Santander | 2.3 M | +22.0% | 1.89 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 11 | Tarragona | 2.17 M | +4.3% | 2.08 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 12 | Pasaia | 2.09 M | 0.0% | 2.09 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 13 | Sevilla | 1.97 M | +3.8% | 1.9 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 14 | Gijón | 1.69 M | +4.5% | 1.62 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.58 M | −0.1% | 1.59 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Alicante | 1.51 M | +0.3% | 1.5 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | Cartagena | 1.46 M | −4.8% | 1.53 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | Málaga | 1.44 M | +45.7% | 986,865 | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Bahía de Cádiz | 1.42 M | −14.8% | 1.66 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 20 | Avilés | 1.17 M | −3.3% | 1.21 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | A Coruña | 1.1 M | +20.4% | 914,720 | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | Huelva | 984,754 | +25.4% | 785,447 | 0.4% | Port |
| 23 | Motril | 919,957 | +18.7% | 774,764 | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Ceuta | 845,411 | −2.7% | 868,829 | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Melilla | 786,577 | −25.9% | 1.06 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 26 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 762,075 | −2.2% | 779,423 | 0.3% | Port |
| 27 | Vilagarcía | 591,552 | +0.8% | 586,971 | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Almería | 584,505 | −8.6% | 639,714 | 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 2018?
Valencia, with 72 million tonnes in 2018, 26.9% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2018?
267.4 million tonnes in 2018, 5.9% more than in 2017.
Was 2018 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2018, 267.4 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2019, 2021, 2022, 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.