2024 total
178.9 million tonnes
First port · 2024
28.5 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
187.1 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
16.1 million tonnes
The 2024 balance
Spanish ports handled 178.9 million tonnes of liquid bulk traffic in 2024, 2.2% more than in 2023 (3.86 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: 2024 was 4.4% below it and ranks 5th of the 14 years with data.
In the 2024 ranking, the ports moving up on 2023 are Bahía de Algeciras (from 2nd to 1st), A Coruña (from 8th to 7th) and Las Palmas (from 9th to 8th); those moving down are Cartagena (from 1st to 2nd) and Castellón (from 7th to 9th).
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 28.5 million tonnes in 2024 (7.4% more than in 2023). It is followed by Cartagena (25.9 million) and Huelva (23.8 million). Together, the three account for 43.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Las Palmas (+27.1%), A Coruña (+21.9%) and Bahía de Algeciras (+7.4%); the steepest falls by Ferrol-San Cibrao (−37.2%), Valencia (−35.0%) and Cartagena (−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 Bilbao (4th, 21.6 million, +4.5%), Tarragona (5th, 20.8 million, +0.9%), Barcelona (6th, 13.7 million, +5.9%), A Coruña (7th, 9.85 million, +21.9%), Las Palmas (8th, 8.78 million, +27.1%), Castellón (9th, 8.5 million, +4.3%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (10th, 4.15 million, −1.8%).
At the bottom of the table are Melilla (64,303 tonnes), Alicante (64,074 tonnes) and Vigo (38,634 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 7 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 7.5%. 15 of the 26 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2023, 6 of them by double digits, and 11 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2024 with data, 8 are above the same month of 2023 and 4 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is down 1.3% on the same months of 2023; the largest year-on-year difference was in May (up 13%); the highest point in the series was May, at 16.1 M, and the lowest September, at 13.9 M.
Between 2012 and 2024 the figure went from 153.4 M to 178.9 M, an increase of 16.7% over 12 years (+1.3% a year on average). The best year was 2019 (187.1 M) and the worst 2013 (152 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 | Bahía de Algeciras | 28.5 M | +7.4% | 26.5 M | 15.9% | Port |
| 2 | Cartagena | 25.9 M | −6.2% | 27.7 M | 14.5% | Port |
| 3 | Huelva | 23.8 M | +5.5% | 22.6 M | 13.3% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 21.6 M | +4.5% | 20.6 M | 12.1% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 20.8 M | +0.9% | 20.6 M | 11.6% | Port |
| 6 | Barcelona | 13.7 M | +5.9% | 12.9 M | 7.6% | Port |
| 7 | A Coruña | 9.85 M | +21.9% | 8.08 M | 5.5% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 8.78 M | +27.1% | 6.9 M | 4.9% | Port |
| 9 | Castellón | 8.5 M | +4.3% | 8.15 M | 4.7% | Port |
| 10 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 4.15 M | −1.8% | 4.22 M | 2.3% | Port |
| 11 | Valencia | 3.44 M | −35.0% | 5.3 M | 1.9% | Port |
| 12 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 2.29 M | −37.2% | 3.64 M | 1.3% | Port |
| 13 | Gijón | 1.74 M | +33.8% | 1.3 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 14 | Baleares | 1.55 M | +4.7% | 1.48 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 15 | Motril | 1.27 M | −0.2% | 1.27 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 16 | Ceuta | 597,163 | −11.8% | 677,160 | 0.3% | Port |
| 17 | Avilés | 584,685 | −11.0% | 657,301 | 0.3% | Port |
| 18 | Sevilla | 554,911 | +26.1% | 440,125 | 0.3% | Port |
| 19 | Bahía de Cádiz | 533,276 | −57.5% | 1.26 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 20 | Vilagarcía | 286,260 | −4.1% | 298,418 | 0.2% | Port |
| 21 | Santander | 165,764 | −21.8% | 211,896 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Almería | 122,835 | +269.3% | 33,261 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Málaga | 112,859 | −18.5% | 138,560 | 0.1% | Port |
| 24 | Melilla | 64,303 | +1.1% | 63,617 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Alicante | 64,074 | +37.1% | 46,725 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Vigo | 38,634 | +7.2% | 36,033 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 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 2024?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 28.5 million tonnes in 2024, 15.9% of the total.
What was the liquid bulk traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2024?
178.9 million tonnes in 2024, 2.2% more than in 2023.
Was 2024 a record year?
No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2019, with 187.1 million tonnes; 2024 was 4.4% 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.