2025 total
278.8 million tonnes
First port · 2025
73.7 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
278.8 million tonnes
Of which, containerised cargo
190.3 million tonnes
The 2025 balance
Spanish ports handled 278.8 million tonnes of general cargo traffic in 2025, 0.1% more than in 2024 (202,041 tonnes more). This is the year-end balance according to Puertos del Estado’s monthly statistics, with December data for the 28 port authorities.
It is the highest annual figure in the 2012–2025 series.
In the 2025 ranking, the ports moving up on 2024 are Málaga (from 10th to 9th); those moving down are Santander (from 9th to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Of which, containerised cargo: 190.3 million tonnes in 2025, 1.5% less than in 2024. Valencia ranks first on this measure, with 58.1 million tonnes.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 73.7 million tonnes in 2025 (1.1% less than in 2024). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (65.4 million) and Barcelona (47 million). Together, the three account for 66.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Málaga (+42.2%), Las Palmas (+15.0%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (+9.9%); the steepest falls by Barcelona (−4.7%), Bilbao (−4.2%) and Bahía de Algeciras (−3.9%). 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, 22.6 million, +15.0%), Baleares (5th, 15.6 million, +4.1%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (6th, 9.94 million, +9.9%), Bilbao (7th, 8.2 million, −4.2%), Vigo (8th, 5.06 million, −3.4%), Málaga (9th, 4.34 million, +42.2%) and Santander (10th, 3.74 million, +2.5%).
At the bottom of the table are Motril (516,155 tonnes), A Coruña (463,592 tonnes) and Melilla (462,308 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 80.4% 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%. 17 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 7 of them by double digits, and 11 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2025 with data, 6 are above the same month of 2024 and 6 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 0.5% on the same months of 2024; the largest year-on-year difference was in November (up 5.3%); the highest point in the series was May, at 25.2 M, and the lowest December, at 21.4 M.
Between 2012 and 2025 the figure went from 219.1 M to 278.8 M, an increase of 27.3% over 13 years (+1.9% 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 · 2025
Month by month · 2025 vs 2024
Annual series, 2012–2025
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2025
| # | Port authorities | 2025 | Change on 2024 | 2024 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 73.7 M | −1.1% | 74.5 M | 26.4% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 65.4 M | −3.9% | 68.1 M | 23.5% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 47 M | −4.7% | 49.3 M | 16.9% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 22.6 M | +15.0% | 19.7 M | 8.1% | Port |
| 5 | Baleares | 15.6 M | +4.1% | 14.9 M | 5.6% | Port |
| 6 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 9.94 M | +9.9% | 9.05 M | 3.6% | Port |
| 7 | Bilbao | 8.2 M | −4.2% | 8.56 M | 2.9% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 5.06 M | −3.4% | 5.24 M | 1.8% | Port |
| 9 | Málaga | 4.34 M | +42.2% | 3.06 M | 1.6% | Port |
| 10 | Santander | 3.74 M | +2.5% | 3.65 M | 1.3% | Port |
| 11 | Bahía de Cádiz | 2.42 M | +0.5% | 2.41 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 12 | Pasaia | 2.38 M | −2.4% | 2.44 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 13 | Tarragona | 1.94 M | +15.0% | 1.69 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 14 | Huelva | 1.82 M | +3.0% | 1.77 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Gijón | 1.72 M | −4.7% | 1.8 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Sevilla | 1.67 M | +0.1% | 1.66 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | Almería | 1.66 M | +12.2% | 1.48 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 18 | Alicante | 1.39 M | +12.2% | 1.24 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Castellón | 1.24 M | −1.5% | 1.26 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 20 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 1.18 M | +0.1% | 1.17 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 21 | Avilés | 1.16 M | +0.2% | 1.16 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 22 | Cartagena | 910,512 | −8.6% | 995,807 | 0.3% | Port |
| 23 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 893,114 | +32.7% | 673,203 | 0.3% | Port |
| 24 | Vilagarcía | 832,117 | +17.0% | 711,186 | 0.3% | Port |
| 25 | Ceuta | 615,071 | +4.1% | 590,620 | 0.2% | Port |
| 26 | Motril | 516,155 | −10.2% | 574,717 | 0.2% | Port |
| 27 | A Coruña | 463,592 | −14.4% | 541,656 | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Melilla | 462,308 | +2.0% | 453,350 | 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 2025?
Valencia, with 73.7 million tonnes in 2025, 26.4% of the total.
What was the general cargo traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2025?
278.8 million tonnes in 2025, 0.1% more than in 2024.
Was 2025 a record year?
Yes: 278.8 million tonnes is the highest annual figure in the 2012–2025 series.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · general cargo by type, annual series or see the original source.