2022 total
270.5 million tonnes
First port · 2022
71 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
187.5 million tonnes
The 2022 balance
Spanish ports handled 270.5 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2022, 2.1% less than in 2021 (5.73 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: 2022 was 3% below it and ranks 5th of the 14 years with data.
In the 2022 ranking, the ports moving up on 2021 are Bahía de Algeciras (from 2nd to 1st) and Málaga (from 10th to 9th); those moving down are Valencia (from 1st to 2nd) and Santander (from 9th to 10th).
Of which, containerised cargo: 187.5 million tonnes in 2022, 5.4% less than in 2021. Bahía de Algeciras ranks first on this measure, with 56.4 million tonnes.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 71 million tonnes in 2022 (0.7% more than in 2021). It is followed by Valencia (70.9 million) and Barcelona (49 million). Together, the three account for 70.6% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Baleares (+10.1%), Málaga (+6.0%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (+5.0%); the steepest falls by Valencia (−10.1%), Santander (−7.7%) and Bilbao (−2.3%). 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, 17.6 million, +1.9%), Baleares (5th, 13.5 million, +10.1%), Bilbao (6th, 8.56 million, −2.3%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (7th, 7.55 million, +5.0%), Vigo (8th, 4.22 million, −0.9%), Málaga (9th, 2.85 million, +6.0%) and Santander (10th, 2.76 million, −7.7%).
At the bottom of the table are Ceuta (569,120 tonnes), Melilla (480,554 tonnes) and Motril (145,266 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 82.1% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.3%. 13 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2021, 3 of them by double digits, and 15 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2022 with data, 4 are above the same month of 2021 and 8 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is down 9.5% on the same months of 2021; the largest year-on-year difference was in November (down 14.6%); the highest point in the series was May, at 26 M, and the lowest November, at 19.8 M.
Between 2012 and 2022 the figure went from 219.1 M to 270.5 M, an increase of 23.5% over 10 years (+2.1% a year on average). The best year was 2021 (276.2 M) and the worst 2013 (213.4 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2022
Month by month · 2022 vs 2021
Annual series, 2012–2022
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2022
| # | Port authorities | 2022 | Change on 2021 | 2021 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 71 M | +0.7% | 70.6 M | 26.3% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 70.9 M | −10.1% | 78.8 M | 26.2% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 49 M | +1.8% | 48.2 M | 18.1% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 17.6 M | +1.9% | 17.2 M | 6.5% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 13.5 M | +10.1% | 12.3 M | 5.0% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 8.56 M | −2.3% | 8.77 M | 3.2% | Port |
| 7 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 7.55 M | +5.0% | 7.2 M | 2.8% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 4.22 M | −0.9% | 4.25 M | 1.6% | Port |
| 9 | Málaga | 2.85 M | +6.0% | 2.69 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 10 | Santander | 2.76 M | −7.7% | 2.99 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 11 | Tarragona | 2.4 M | +4.9% | 2.28 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 12 | Pasaia | 2.36 M | −1.1% | 2.39 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 13 | Bahía de Cádiz | 2.21 M | −9.5% | 2.44 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 14 | Sevilla | 1.58 M | −4.9% | 1.66 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Alicante | 1.52 M | +18.0% | 1.29 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Castellón | 1.49 M | −21.9% | 1.9 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 17 | Almería | 1.48 M | +2.2% | 1.45 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | Huelva | 1.3 M | +8.9% | 1.19 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Gijón | 1.28 M | −22.3% | 1.65 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 20 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.04 M | −12.7% | 1.19 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Cartagena | 1.0 M | +3.9% | 967,342 | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | Avilés | 996,945 | −12.4% | 1.14 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 23 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 977,912 | +25.9% | 777,042 | 0.4% | Port |
| 24 | A Coruña | 896,732 | +5.2% | 852,680 | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Vilagarcía | 789,543 | −1.8% | 804,078 | 0.3% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 569,120 | −5.0% | 599,024 | 0.2% | Port |
| 27 | Melilla | 480,554 | −2.1% | 491,030 | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Motril | 145,266 | −15.3% | 171,550 | 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 2022?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 71 million tonnes in 2022, 26.3% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2022?
270.5 million tonnes in 2022, 2.1% less than in 2021.
Was 2022 a record year?
No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 278.8 million tonnes; 2022 was 3% 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.