Year to date · January–August 2026
6.63 million tonnes
August 2026 only
857,810 tonnes
Full year 2025
10.5 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
1.8%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 6.63 million tonnes of paper and pulp in the year to August 2026, 8.2% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 857,810 tonnes, 4.2% less than in August 2025.
Virtually all of it travelled as general cargo. The item accounts for 1.8% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in paper and pulp came to 10.5 million tonnes, 7.1% less than in 2024: 4.95 million tonnes unloaded and 5.58 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 92.6% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 26 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 2.54 million tonnes in 2025 (16.2% less than in 2024). It is followed by Valencia (2.53 million) and Barcelona (2.35 million). Together, the three account for 70.4% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Las Palmas (+30.5%), Tarragona (+26.4%) and Málaga (+4.5%); the steepest falls by Bahía de Algeciras (−16.2%), Marín y Ría de Pontevedra (−11.3%) and Santander (−9.4%). 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, 615,809 tonnes, +30.5%), Bilbao (5th, 499,744 tonnes, −5.4%), Tarragona (6th, 464,436 tonnes, +26.4%), Málaga (7th, 341,071 tonnes, +4.5%), Marín y Ría de Pontevedra (8th, 335,344 tonnes, −11.3%), Pasaia (9th, 208,850 tonnes, −8.1%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (10th, 178,242 tonnes, −4.0%).
At the bottom of the table are Gijón (915 tonnes), Ceuta (803 tonnes) and Cartagena (88 tonnes), out of a total of 26 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 81% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 16 port authorities further down share the remaining 4.5%. 8 of the 26 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 6 of them by double digits, and 18 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 1 are above the same month of 2025 and 7 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is down 7.6% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in July (down 15%); the highest point in the series was March, at 895,314, and the lowest January, at 752,980.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 10.9 M to 10.5 M, a decrease of 3.2% over 14 years (−0.2% a year on average). The best year was 2024 (11.3 M) and the worst 2014 (8.68 M).
Top 10 · Paper and pulp by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · paper and pulp
Full table · 26 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 2.54 M | −16.2% | 1.23 M | 24.1% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 2.53 M | −9.0% | 1.24 M | 24.0% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 2.35 M | −8.4% | 613,907 | 22.3% | Port |
| 4 | Las Palmas | 615,809 | +30.5% | 307,959 | 5.8% | Port |
| 5 | Bilbao | 499,744 | −5.4% | 386,394 | 4.7% | Port |
| 6 | Tarragona | 464,436 | +26.4% | 417,201 | 4.4% | Port |
| 7 | Málaga | 341,071 | +4.5% | 163,691 | 3.2% | Port |
| 8 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 335,344 | −11.3% | 311 | 3.2% | Port |
| 9 | Pasaia | 208,850 | −8.1% | 208,850 | 2.0% | Port |
| 10 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 178,242 | −4.0% | 80,475 | 1.7% | Port |
| 11 | Santander | 156,732 | −9.4% | 96,506 | 1.5% | Port |
| 12 | Baleares | 80,441 | −15.5% | 38,710 | 0.8% | Port |
| 13 | Motril | 64,988 | +5.1% | 64,281 | 0.6% | Port |
| 14 | Huelva | 38,002 | +973.8% | 18,185 | 0.4% | Port |
| 15 | Alicante | 29,886 | −9.3% | 24,690 | 0.3% | Port |
| 16 | Almería | 29,595 | +17.8% | 28,953 | 0.3% | Port |
| 17 | Vigo | 18,532 | −54.9% | 3,630 | 0.2% | Port |
| 18 | Bahía de Cádiz | 15,901 | −7.3% | 11,618 | 0.2% | Port |
| 19 | Sevilla | 14,292 | +32.5% | 6,890 | 0.1% | Port |
| 20 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 11,887 | −10.5% | 10,201 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Castellón | 9,644 | +177.6% | 3,899 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Vilagarcía | 1,807 | −50.1% | 1,072 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Melilla | 1,602 | −2.8% | 450 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Gijón | 915 | −79.3% | 249 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Ceuta | 803 | −5.3% | 3 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Cartagena | 88 | −88.9% | 15 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Paper, cardboard and wood pulp, which travel as general cargo, largely in containers. Puertos del Estado publishes every month the tonnes of this commodity loaded, unloaded or in transit across all ports of general interest, as a cumulative figure since January, and once a year the breakdown by port authority. Figures for the current year are provisional until the yearbook is published.
Context
Wood pulp is shipped from northern ports close to the mills, while paper and cardboard, including recovered paper for recycling, are spread across the large container ports, where transhipment also counts.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of paper and pulp have Spanish ports handled this year?
6.63 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 8.2% less than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most paper and pulp?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 2.54 million tonnes in 2025, 24.1% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
Virtually all of it travelled as general cargo in the year to August 2026.
When is this data updated?
Puertos del Estado publishes the data every month. Latest data available: August 2026.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · cargo by commodity, annual series or see the original source.