2017 total
178.2 million tonnes
First port · 2017
28.8 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
187.1 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
16.4 million tonnes
The 2017 balance
Spanish ports handled 178.2 million tonnes of liquid bulk traffic in 2017, 6.4% more than in 2016 (10.7 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 2019, with 187.1 million tonnes: 2017 was 4.7% below it and ranks 6th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2017 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
In the 2017 ranking, the ports moving up on 2016 are A Coruña (from 8th to 7th) and Las Palmas (from 10th to 9th); those moving down are Castellón (from 7th to 8th) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (from 9th to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 28.8 million tonnes in 2017 (5.4% more than in 2016). It is followed by Cartagena (27.2 million) and Huelva (24.9 million). Together, the three account for 45.4% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Barcelona (+26.9%), Las Palmas (+11.9%) and Bilbao (+9.4%); the steepest falls by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (−16.6%), Valencia (−15.8%) and Castellón (−6.2%). 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 Tarragona (4th, 22 million, +8.7%), Bilbao (5th, 19.8 million, +9.4%), Barcelona (6th, 14.5 million, +26.9%), A Coruña (7th, 8.79 million, +7.6%), Castellón (8th, 7.83 million, −6.2%), Las Palmas (9th, 6.85 million, +11.9%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (10th, 5.14 million, −16.6%).
At the bottom of the table are Vigo (67,776 tonnes), Alicante (41,229 tonnes) and Almería (31,656 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 68.8% of the total and 7 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 7%. 19 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2016, 9 of them by double digits, and 8 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2017 with data, 10 are above the same month of 2016 and 2 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 4.8% on the same months of 2016; the largest year-on-year difference was in September (up 15.9%); the highest point in the series was July, at 16.4 M, and the lowest April, at 14 M.
Between 2012 and 2017 the figure went from 153.4 M to 178.2 M, an increase of 16.2% over 5 years (+3.1% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2013 (152 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2017
Month by month · 2017 vs 2016
Annual series, 2012–2017
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2017
| # | Port authorities | 2017 | Change on 2016 | 2016 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 28.8 M | +5.4% | 27.3 M | 16.1% | Port |
| 2 | Cartagena | 27.2 M | +8.6% | 25 M | 15.2% | Port |
| 3 | Huelva | 24.9 M | +3.2% | 24.1 M | 14.0% | Port |
| 4 | Tarragona | 22 M | +8.7% | 20.3 M | 12.4% | Port |
| 5 | Bilbao | 19.8 M | +9.4% | 18.1 M | 11.1% | Port |
| 6 | Barcelona | 14.5 M | +26.9% | 11.4 M | 8.1% | Port |
| 7 | A Coruña | 8.79 M | +7.6% | 8.17 M | 4.9% | Port |
| 8 | Castellón | 7.83 M | −6.2% | 8.35 M | 4.4% | Port |
| 9 | Las Palmas | 6.85 M | +11.9% | 6.12 M | 3.8% | Port |
| 10 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 5.14 M | −16.6% | 6.16 M | 2.9% | Port |
| 11 | Valencia | 3.2 M | −15.8% | 3.8 M | 1.8% | Port |
| 12 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 2.31 M | −1.4% | 2.35 M | 1.3% | Port |
| 13 | Baleares | 1.55 M | +0.8% | 1.54 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 14 | Motril | 1.05 M | −12.3% | 1.2 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Ceuta | 994,798 | +13.5% | 876,112 | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Gijón | 897,937 | +10.2% | 814,897 | 0.5% | Port |
| 17 | Avilés | 658,158 | +5.3% | 625,175 | 0.4% | Port |
| 18 | Bahía de Cádiz | 578,775 | +43.0% | 404,838 | 0.3% | Port |
| 19 | Sevilla | 422,753 | +84.1% | 229,665 | 0.2% | Port |
| 20 | Santander | 234,493 | +67.8% | 139,775 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Vilagarcía | 193,687 | +5.2% | 184,160 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Málaga | 151,490 | −9.7% | 167,833 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Melilla | 78,648 | +2.7% | 76,587 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Vigo | 67,776 | +12.1% | 60,452 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Alicante | 41,229 | −4.9% | 43,336 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Almería | 31,656 | +11.2% | 28,465 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 0 | −100.0% | — | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Pasaia | 0 | — | — | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Liquid bulk is cargo loaded by pipeline: crude oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas, chemicals, biofuels and oils. It is the largest cargo group in the port system by weight and the one most closely tied to refineries, regasification plants and chemical terminals. Its changes reflect maintenance shutdowns and energy prices more than the economic cycle.
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by liquid bulk traffic in 2017?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 28.8 million tonnes in 2017, 16.1% of the total.
What was the liquid bulk traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2017?
178.2 million tonnes in 2017, 6.4% more than in 2016.
Was 2017 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2017, 178.2 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025; the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2019, with 187.1 million tonnes.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · traffic by type of cargo, annual series or see the original source.