2019 total
274 million tonnes
First port · 2019
75.4 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
195.3 million tonnes
The 2019 balance
Spanish ports handled 274 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2019, 2.5% more than in 2018 (6.64 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: 2019 was 1.7% below it and ranks 5th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2019 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2021, 2024 and 2025.
The top ten positions in the 2019 ranking are the same, and in the same order, as in 2018.
Of which, containerised cargo: 195.3 million tonnes in 2019, 2.2% more than in 2018. Bahía de Algeciras ranks first on this measure, with 64.3 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 75.4 million tonnes in 2019 (4.8% more than in 2018). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (73.3 million) and Barcelona (45.8 million). Together, the three account for 71% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Bahía de Algeciras (+6.2%), Baleares (+5.0%) and Valencia (+4.8%); the steepest falls by Castellón (−8.8%), Las Palmas (−6.4%) and Bilbao (−3.8%). 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, 15.6 million, −6.4%), Baleares (5th, 13.8 million, +5.0%), Bilbao (6th, 9.94 million, −3.8%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (7th, 7.21 million, −2.7%), Vigo (8th, 3.82 million, +1.3%), Castellón (9th, 3.0 million, −8.8%) and Santander (10th, 2.59 million, +12.3%).
At the bottom of the table are Melilla (775,840 tonnes), Ferrol-San Cibrao (762,638 tonnes) and Vilagarcía (652,903 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 81.7% 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%. 13 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2018, 7 of them by double digits, and 15 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2019 with data, 9 are above the same month of 2018 and 3 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is down 0.5% on the same months of 2018; the largest year-on-year difference was in January (up 6.1%); the highest point in the series was May, at 25.4 M, and the lowest December, at 20.9 M.
Between 2012 and 2019 the figure went from 219.1 M to 274 M, an increase of 25.1% over 7 years (+3.2% 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 · 2019
Month by month · 2019 vs 2018
Annual series, 2012–2019
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2019
| # | Port authorities | 2019 | Change on 2018 | 2018 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 75.4 M | +4.8% | 72 M | 27.5% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 73.3 M | +6.2% | 69.1 M | 26.8% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 45.8 M | −1.3% | 46.3 M | 16.7% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 15.6 M | −6.4% | 16.7 M | 5.7% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 13.8 M | +5.0% | 13.1 M | 5.0% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 9.94 M | −3.8% | 10.3 M | 3.6% | Port |
| 7 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 7.21 M | −2.7% | 7.41 M | 2.6% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 3.82 M | +1.3% | 3.77 M | 1.4% | Port |
| 9 | Castellón | 3.0 M | −8.8% | 3.29 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 10 | Santander | 2.59 M | +12.3% | 2.3 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 11 | Pasaia | 2.17 M | +3.9% | 2.09 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 12 | Málaga | 1.94 M | +34.7% | 1.44 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 13 | Gijón | 1.89 M | +11.6% | 1.69 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 14 | Tarragona | 1.78 M | −18.0% | 2.17 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Sevilla | 1.77 M | −10.3% | 1.97 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Avilés | 1.57 M | +34.0% | 1.17 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.55 M | −2.1% | 1.58 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 18 | Alicante | 1.42 M | −5.6% | 1.51 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Cartagena | 1.26 M | −14.0% | 1.46 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 20 | Bahía de Cádiz | 1.15 M | −18.7% | 1.42 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Huelva | 1.15 M | +16.3% | 984,754 | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | Almería | 1.09 M | +86.3% | 584,505 | 0.4% | Port |
| 23 | A Coruña | 1.01 M | −8.7% | 1.1 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 24 | Ceuta | 832,501 | −1.5% | 845,411 | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Motril | 794,292 | −13.7% | 919,957 | 0.3% | Port |
| 26 | Melilla | 775,840 | −1.4% | 786,577 | 0.3% | Port |
| 27 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 762,638 | +0.1% | 762,075 | 0.3% | Port |
| 28 | Vilagarcía | 652,903 | +10.4% | 591,552 | 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 2019?
Valencia, with 75.4 million tonnes in 2019, 27.5% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2019?
274 million tonnes in 2019, 2.5% more than in 2018.
Was 2019 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2019, 274 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2021, 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.