2018 total
180.7 million tonnes
First port · 2018
31.8 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
187.1 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
16.1 million tonnes
The 2018 balance
Spanish ports handled 180.7 million tonnes of liquid bulk traffic in 2018, 1.4% more than in 2017 (2.48 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: 2018 was 3.4% below it and ranks 3rd of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2018 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2019 and 2022.
In the 2018 ranking, the ports moving up on 2017 are Bilbao (from 5th to 4th) and Castellón (from 8th to 7th); those moving down are Tarragona (from 4th to 5th) and A Coruña (from 7th to 8th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 31.8 million tonnes in 2018 (10.4% more than in 2017). It is followed by Cartagena (25.7 million) and Huelva (25.1 million). Together, the three account for 45.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Castellón (+32.7%), Bahía de Algeciras (+10.4%) and A Coruña (+6.2%); the steepest falls by Valencia (−40.4%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (−12.4%) and Tarragona (−9.9%). 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 Bilbao (4th, 20.5 million, +3.6%), Tarragona (5th, 19.8 million, −9.9%), Barcelona (6th, 15.3 million, +5.6%), Castellón (7th, 10.4 million, +32.7%), A Coruña (8th, 9.34 million, +6.2%), Las Palmas (9th, 7.15 million, +4.4%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (10th, 4.5 million, −12.4%).
At the bottom of the table are Alicante (60,762 tonnes), Almería (43,811 tonnes) and Marín y Ría de Pontevedra (4 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 68% of the total and 7 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 6.2%. 14 of the 26 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2017, 8 of them by double digits, and 12 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2018 with data, 6 are above the same month of 2017 and 6 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 1.7% on the same months of 2017; the largest year-on-year difference was in January (up 11.8%); the highest point in the series was January, at 16.1 M, and the lowest February, at 13.3 M.
Between 2012 and 2018 the figure went from 153.4 M to 180.7 M, an increase of 17.8% over 6 years (+2.8% 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 · 2018
Month by month · 2018 vs 2017
Annual series, 2012–2018
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2018
| # | Port authorities | 2018 | Change on 2017 | 2017 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 31.8 M | +10.4% | 28.8 M | 17.6% | Port |
| 2 | Cartagena | 25.7 M | −5.5% | 27.2 M | 14.2% | Port |
| 3 | Huelva | 25.1 M | +0.9% | 24.9 M | 13.9% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 20.5 M | +3.6% | 19.8 M | 11.3% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 19.8 M | −9.9% | 22 M | 11.0% | Port |
| 6 | Barcelona | 15.3 M | +5.6% | 14.5 M | 8.5% | Port |
| 7 | Castellón | 10.4 M | +32.7% | 7.83 M | 5.8% | Port |
| 8 | A Coruña | 9.34 M | +6.2% | 8.79 M | 5.2% | Port |
| 9 | Las Palmas | 7.15 M | +4.4% | 6.85 M | 4.0% | Port |
| 10 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 4.5 M | −12.4% | 5.14 M | 2.5% | Port |
| 11 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 2.16 M | −6.8% | 2.31 M | 1.2% | Port |
| 12 | Valencia | 1.91 M | −40.4% | 3.2 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 13 | Baleares | 1.7 M | +9.2% | 1.55 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 14 | Motril | 1.34 M | +27.8% | 1.05 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Ceuta | 834,100 | −16.2% | 994,798 | 0.5% | Port |
| 16 | Gijón | 769,471 | −14.3% | 897,937 | 0.4% | Port |
| 17 | Bahía de Cádiz | 686,986 | +18.7% | 578,775 | 0.4% | Port |
| 18 | Avilés | 620,106 | −5.8% | 658,158 | 0.3% | Port |
| 19 | Santander | 339,510 | +44.8% | 234,493 | 0.2% | Port |
| 20 | Sevilla | 269,016 | −36.4% | 422,753 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Vilagarcía | 167,809 | −13.4% | 193,687 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Vigo | 93,912 | +38.6% | 67,776 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Málaga | 81,393 | −46.3% | 151,490 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Melilla | 76,234 | −3.1% | 78,648 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Alicante | 60,762 | +47.4% | 41,229 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Almería | 43,811 | +38.4% | 31,656 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 4 | — | — | 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 2018?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 31.8 million tonnes in 2018, 17.6% of the total.
What was the liquid bulk traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2018?
180.7 million tonnes in 2018, 1.4% more than in 2017.
Was 2018 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2018, 180.7 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2019 and 2022; 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.