2024 total
278.6 million tonnes
First port · 2024
74.5 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
193.1 million tonnes
The 2024 balance
Spanish ports handled 278.6 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2024, 6.1% more than in 2023 (16 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: 2024 was 0.1% below it and ranks 2nd of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2024 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2025.
In the 2024 ranking, the ports moving up on 2023 are Valencia (from 2nd to 1st) and Málaga (from 23rd to 10th); those moving down are Bahía de Algeciras (from 1st to 2nd).
Of which, containerised cargo: 193.1 million tonnes in 2024, 8% more than in 2023. Valencia ranks first on this measure, with 58.8 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 74.5 million tonnes in 2024 (7.9% more than in 2023). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (68.1 million) and Barcelona (49.3 million). Together, the three account for 68.9% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Málaga (+215.6%), Santander (+24.0%) and Vigo (+21.8%); the steepest falls by Bahía de Algeciras (−3.1%). 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, 19.7 million, +7.6%), Baleares (5th, 14.9 million, +5.3%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (6th, 9.05 million, +9.2%), Bilbao (7th, 8.56 million, +3.8%), Vigo (8th, 5.24 million, +21.8%), Santander (9th, 3.65 million, +24.0%) and Málaga (10th, 3.06 million, +215.6%).
At the bottom of the table are Motril (574,717 tonnes), A Coruña (541,656 tonnes) and Melilla (453,350 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 81.3% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.1%. 23 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2023, 11 of them by double digits, and 5 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2024 with data, 11 are above the same month of 2023 and 1 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 3.7% on the same months of 2023; the largest year-on-year difference was in April (up 12%); the highest point in the series was May, at 25.9 M, and the lowest January, at 21.3 M.
Between 2012 and 2024 the figure went from 219.1 M to 278.6 M, an increase of 27.2% over 12 years (+2.0% 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 · 2024
Month by month · 2024 vs 2023
Annual series, 2012–2024
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2024
| # | Port authorities | 2024 | Change on 2023 | 2023 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 74.5 M | +7.9% | 69 M | 26.7% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 68.1 M | −3.1% | 70.3 M | 24.4% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 49.3 M | +10.3% | 44.7 M | 17.7% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 19.7 M | +7.6% | 18.3 M | 7.1% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 14.9 M | +5.3% | 14.2 M | 5.4% | Port |
| 6 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 9.05 M | +9.2% | 8.29 M | 3.2% | Port |
| 7 | Bilbao | 8.56 M | +3.8% | 8.24 M | 3.1% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 5.24 M | +21.8% | 4.3 M | 1.9% | Port |
| 9 | Santander | 3.65 M | +24.0% | 2.94 M | 1.3% | Port |
| 10 | Málaga | 3.06 M | +215.6% | 968,201 | 1.1% | Port |
| 11 | Pasaia | 2.44 M | +2.2% | 2.38 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 12 | Bahía de Cádiz | 2.41 M | +12.7% | 2.14 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 13 | Gijón | 1.8 M | +16.4% | 1.55 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 14 | Huelva | 1.77 M | +18.5% | 1.49 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Tarragona | 1.69 M | −3.1% | 1.74 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Sevilla | 1.66 M | +9.1% | 1.52 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | Almería | 1.48 M | +18.0% | 1.26 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | Castellón | 1.26 M | +16.1% | 1.08 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Alicante | 1.24 M | −4.8% | 1.3 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 20 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.17 M | +10.7% | 1.06 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Avilés | 1.16 M | +3.7% | 1.12 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | Cartagena | 995,807 | +0.9% | 986,600 | 0.4% | Port |
| 23 | Vilagarcía | 711,186 | +5.4% | 674,707 | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 673,203 | −32.3% | 994,466 | 0.2% | Port |
| 25 | Ceuta | 590,620 | +10.2% | 536,192 | 0.2% | Port |
| 26 | Motril | 574,717 | +5.5% | 544,575 | 0.2% | Port |
| 27 | A Coruña | 541,656 | −12.9% | 622,167 | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Melilla | 453,350 | +0.3% | 452,098 | 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 2024?
Valencia, with 74.5 million tonnes in 2024, 26.7% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2024?
278.6 million tonnes in 2024, 6.1% more than in 2023.
Was 2024 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2024, 278.6 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 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.