2021 total
276.2 million tonnes
First port · 2021
78.8 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
198.3 million tonnes
The 2021 balance
Spanish ports handled 276.2 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2021, 5.6% more than in 2020 (14.7 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: 2021 was 0.9% below it and ranks 3rd of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2021 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2024 and 2025.
In the 2021 ranking, the ports moving up on 2020 are Málaga (from 21st to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Of which, containerised cargo: 198.3 million tonnes in 2021, 2.3% more than in 2020. Valencia ranks first on this measure, with 64 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 78.8 million tonnes in 2021 (3.7% more than in 2020). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (70.6 million) and Barcelona (48.2 million). Together, the three account for 71.5% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Barcelona (+15.8%), Santander (+15.1%) and Bilbao (+13.6%); the steepest falls by Bahía de Algeciras (−5.5%). 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, 17.2 million, +13.3%), Baleares (5th, 12.3 million, +13.2%), Bilbao (6th, 8.77 million, +13.6%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (7th, 7.2 million, +7.9%), Vigo (8th, 4.25 million, +6.9%), Santander (9th, 2.99 million, +15.1%) and Málaga (10th, 2.69 million, +153.5%).
At the bottom of the table are Ceuta (599,024 tonnes), Melilla (491,030 tonnes) and Motril (171,550 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 82.2% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.4%. 20 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2020, 12 of them by double digits, and 8 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2021 with data, 8 are above the same month of 2020 and 4 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is down 1% on the same months of 2020; the largest year-on-year difference was in April (up 19.9%); the highest point in the series was March, at 23.9 M, and the lowest February, at 21.5 M.
Between 2012 and 2021 the figure went from 219.1 M to 276.2 M, an increase of 26.1% over 9 years (+2.6% 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 · 2021
Month by month · 2021 vs 2020
Annual series, 2012–2021
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2021
| # | Port authorities | 2021 | Change on 2020 | 2020 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 78.8 M | +3.7% | 76 M | 28.5% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 70.6 M | −5.5% | 74.7 M | 25.6% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 48.2 M | +15.8% | 41.6 M | 17.4% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 17.2 M | +13.3% | 15.2 M | 6.2% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 12.3 M | +13.2% | 10.8 M | 4.4% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 8.77 M | +13.6% | 7.72 M | 3.2% | Port |
| 7 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 7.2 M | +7.9% | 6.67 M | 2.6% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 4.25 M | +6.9% | 3.98 M | 1.5% | Port |
| 9 | Santander | 2.99 M | +15.1% | 2.6 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 10 | Málaga | 2.69 M | +153.5% | 1.06 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 11 | Bahía de Cádiz | 2.44 M | +48.1% | 1.65 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 12 | Pasaia | 2.39 M | +20.4% | 1.98 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 13 | Tarragona | 2.28 M | +48.2% | 1.54 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 14 | Castellón | 1.9 M | −3.7% | 1.98 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Sevilla | 1.66 M | +1.3% | 1.64 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Gijón | 1.65 M | −10.5% | 1.85 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | Almería | 1.45 M | +19.5% | 1.21 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | Alicante | 1.29 M | +0.6% | 1.28 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Huelva | 1.19 M | −8.4% | 1.3 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 20 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.19 M | −0.3% | 1.19 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Avilés | 1.14 M | +32.9% | 856,395 | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | Cartagena | 967,342 | −10.3% | 1.08 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 23 | A Coruña | 852,680 | +1.5% | 839,877 | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Vilagarcía | 804,078 | +22.4% | 656,868 | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 777,042 | +9.0% | 713,079 | 0.3% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 599,024 | +6.9% | 560,390 | 0.2% | Port |
| 27 | Melilla | 491,030 | −5.2% | 518,077 | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Motril | 171,550 | −33.1% | 256,389 | 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 2021?
Valencia, with 78.8 million tonnes in 2021, 28.5% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2021?
276.2 million tonnes in 2021, 5.6% more than in 2020.
Was 2021 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2021, 276.2 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 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.