2023 total
175.1 million tonnes
First port · 2023
27.7 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
187.1 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
15.7 million tonnes
The 2023 balance
Spanish ports handled 175.1 million tonnes of liquid bulk traffic in 2023, 3.7% less than in 2022 (6.64 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 2019, with 187.1 million tonnes: 2023 was 6.4% below it and ranks 7th of the 14 years with data.
The top ten positions in the 2023 ranking are the same, and in the same order, as in 2022.
Cartagena ranks first among port authorities with 27.7 million tonnes in 2023 (1.3% less than in 2022). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (26.5 million) and Huelva (22.6 million). Together, the three account for 43.8% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Tarragona (+16.4%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (+14.4%) and Bilbao (+0.9%); the steepest falls by Castellón (−20.6%), Barcelona (−16.7%) and Las Palmas (−11.6%). 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, 20.6 million, +0.9%), Tarragona (5th, 20.6 million, +16.4%), Barcelona (6th, 12.9 million, −16.7%), Castellón (7th, 8.15 million, −20.6%), A Coruña (8th, 8.08 million, −5.3%), Las Palmas (9th, 6.9 million, −11.6%) and Valencia (10th, 5.3 million, −9.0%).
At the bottom of the table are Alicante (46,725 tonnes), Vigo (36,033 tonnes) and Almería (33,261 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 67.4% of the total and 8 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 9%. 9 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2022, 6 of them by double digits, and 18 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2023 with data, 3 are above the same month of 2022 and 9 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is down 5.8% on the same months of 2022; the largest year-on-year difference was in December (down 14.5%); the highest point in the series was April, at 15.7 M, and the lowest June, at 13.4 M.
Between 2012 and 2023 the figure went from 153.4 M to 175.1 M, an increase of 14.1% over 11 years (+1.2% a year on average). The best year was 2019 (187.1 M) and the worst 2013 (152 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2023
Month by month · 2023 vs 2022
Annual series, 2012–2023
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2023
| # | Port authorities | 2023 | Change on 2022 | 2022 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cartagena | 27.7 M | −1.3% | 28 M | 15.8% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 26.5 M | −2.9% | 27.3 M | 15.1% | Port |
| 3 | Huelva | 22.6 M | −9.2% | 24.9 M | 12.9% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 20.6 M | +0.9% | 20.5 M | 11.8% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 20.6 M | +16.4% | 17.7 M | 11.7% | Port |
| 6 | Barcelona | 12.9 M | −16.7% | 15.5 M | 7.4% | Port |
| 7 | Castellón | 8.15 M | −20.6% | 10.3 M | 4.7% | Port |
| 8 | A Coruña | 8.08 M | −5.3% | 8.53 M | 4.6% | Port |
| 9 | Las Palmas | 6.9 M | −11.6% | 7.81 M | 3.9% | Port |
| 10 | Valencia | 5.3 M | −9.0% | 5.82 M | 3.0% | Port |
| 11 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 4.22 M | +14.4% | 3.69 M | 2.4% | Port |
| 12 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 3.64 M | −8.1% | 3.96 M | 2.1% | Port |
| 13 | Baleares | 1.48 M | −4.2% | 1.55 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 14 | Gijón | 1.3 M | +53.8% | 843,784 | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Motril | 1.27 M | −4.4% | 1.33 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 16 | Bahía de Cádiz | 1.26 M | −14.8% | 1.47 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 17 | Ceuta | 677,160 | −0.7% | 681,899 | 0.4% | Port |
| 18 | Avilés | 657,301 | +0.9% | 651,472 | 0.4% | Port |
| 19 | Sevilla | 440,125 | +4.6% | 420,742 | 0.3% | Port |
| 20 | Vilagarcía | 298,418 | −0.4% | 299,566 | 0.2% | Port |
| 21 | Santander | 211,896 | −12.6% | 242,312 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Málaga | 138,560 | +23.0% | 112,638 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Melilla | 63,617 | −0.9% | 64,169 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Alicante | 46,725 | +53.6% | 30,422 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Vigo | 36,033 | +12.7% | 31,974 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Almería | 33,261 | −68.2% | 104,484 | 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 2023?
Cartagena, with 27.7 million tonnes in 2023, 15.8% of the total.
What was the liquid bulk traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2023?
175.1 million tonnes in 2023, 3.7% less than in 2022.
Was 2023 a record year?
No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2019, with 187.1 million tonnes; 2023 was 6.4% below it.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · traffic by type of cargo, annual series or see the original source.