2020 total
261.5 million tonnes
First port · 2020
76 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
193.8 million tonnes
The 2020 balance
Spanish ports handled 261.5 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2020, 4.6% less than in 2019 (12.5 million less). 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: 2020 was 6.2% below it and ranks 8th of the 14 years with data.
In the 2020 ranking, the ports moving up on 2019 are Santander (from 10th to 9th) and Pasaia (from 11th to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Of which, containerised cargo: 193.8 million tonnes in 2020, 0.8% less than in 2019. Bahía de Algeciras ranks first on this measure, with 65.4 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 76 million tonnes in 2020 (0.8% more than in 2019). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (74.7 million) and Barcelona (41.6 million). Together, the three account for 73.5% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Vigo (+4.1%), Bahía de Algeciras (+1.9%) and Valencia (+0.8%); the steepest falls by Bilbao (−22.4%), Baleares (−21.3%) and Barcelona (−9.1%). 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, 15.2 million, −2.7%), Baleares (5th, 10.8 million, −21.3%), Bilbao (6th, 7.72 million, −22.4%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (7th, 6.67 million, −7.4%), Vigo (8th, 3.98 million, +4.1%), Santander (9th, 2.6 million, +0.4%) and Pasaia (10th, 1.98 million, −8.4%).
At the bottom of the table are Ceuta (560,390 tonnes), Melilla (518,077 tonnes) and Motril (256,389 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 83.5% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 7.7%. 8 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2019, 3 of them by double digits, and 20 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2020 with data, 4 are above the same month of 2019 and 8 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 5.6% on the same months of 2019; the largest year-on-year difference was in May (down 23.5%); the highest point in the series was October, at 23.6 M, and the lowest May, at 19.4 M.
Between 2012 and 2020 the figure went from 219.1 M to 261.5 M, an increase of 19.4% over 8 years (+2.2% a year on average). The best year was 2019 (274 M) and the worst 2013 (213.4 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2020
Month by month · 2020 vs 2019
Annual series, 2012–2020
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2020
| # | Port authorities | 2020 | Change on 2019 | 2019 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 76 M | +0.8% | 75.4 M | 29.1% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 74.7 M | +1.9% | 73.3 M | 28.6% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 41.6 M | −9.1% | 45.8 M | 15.9% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 15.2 M | −2.7% | 15.6 M | 5.8% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 10.8 M | −21.3% | 13.8 M | 4.1% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 7.72 M | −22.4% | 9.94 M | 3.0% | Port |
| 7 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 6.67 M | −7.4% | 7.21 M | 2.6% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 3.98 M | +4.1% | 3.82 M | 1.5% | Port |
| 9 | Santander | 2.6 M | +0.4% | 2.59 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 10 | Pasaia | 1.98 M | −8.4% | 2.17 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 11 | Castellón | 1.98 M | −34.0% | 3.0 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 12 | Gijón | 1.85 M | −2.2% | 1.89 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 13 | Bahía de Cádiz | 1.65 M | +42.9% | 1.15 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 14 | Sevilla | 1.64 M | −7.4% | 1.77 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Tarragona | 1.54 M | −13.4% | 1.78 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Huelva | 1.3 M | +13.5% | 1.15 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 17 | Alicante | 1.28 M | −9.8% | 1.42 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | Almería | 1.21 M | +11.5% | 1.09 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.19 M | −23.1% | 1.55 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 20 | Cartagena | 1.08 M | −14.1% | 1.26 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Málaga | 1.06 M | −45.2% | 1.94 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | Avilés | 856,395 | −45.5% | 1.57 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 23 | A Coruña | 839,877 | −16.5% | 1.01 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 713,079 | −6.5% | 762,638 | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Vilagarcía | 656,868 | +0.6% | 652,903 | 0.3% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 560,390 | −32.7% | 832,501 | 0.2% | Port |
| 27 | Melilla | 518,077 | −33.2% | 775,840 | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Motril | 256,389 | −67.7% | 794,292 | 0.1% | 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 2020?
Valencia, with 76 million tonnes in 2020, 29.1% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2020?
261.5 million tonnes in 2020, 4.6% less than in 2019.
Was 2020 a record year?
No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 278.8 million tonnes; 2020 was 6.2% below it.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · general cargo by type, annual series or see the original source.