Year to date · January–August 2026
15.7 million tonnes
August 2026 only
1.99 million tonnes
Full year 2025
21.5 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
4.3%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 15.7 million tonnes of petrol in the year to August 2026, 9.2% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 1.99 million tonnes, 2.7% less than in August 2025.
Virtually all of it travelled as liquid bulk. The item accounts for 4.3% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in petrol came to 21.5 million tonnes, 12.4% more than in 2024: 9.77 million tonnes unloaded and 11.7 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 64.7% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 21 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Barcelona ranks first among port authorities with 5.91 million tonnes in 2025 (54.2% more than in 2024). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (2.95 million) and Huelva (2.72 million). Together, the three account for 53.9% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by A Coruña (+100.8%), Barcelona (+54.2%) and Motril (+50.2%); the steepest falls by Cartagena (−27.6%), Huelva (−13.8%) and Bilbao (−10.4%). 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (4th, 1.81 million, +8.5%), Tarragona (5th, 1.4 million, +43.5%), A Coruña (6th, 1.25 million, +100.8%), Castellón (7th, 1.16 million, −2.7%), Las Palmas (8th, 1.14 million, −0.3%), Bilbao (9th, 1.04 million, −10.4%) and Baleares (10th, 1.01 million, +0.9%).
At the bottom of the table are Sevilla (153 tonnes), Santander (70 tonnes) and Alicante (1 tonnes), out of a total of 21 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 68.9% of the total and 7 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 11 port authorities further down share the remaining 5%. 11 of the 19 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 7 of them by double digits, and 8 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 6 are above the same month of 2025 and 2 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is up 9.9% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in May (up 23.6%); the highest point in the series was June, at 2.18 M, and the lowest January, at 1.64 M.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 11.8 M to 21.5 M, an increase of 82.3% over 14 years (+4.4% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2012 (11.8 M).
Top 10 · Petrol by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · petrol
Full table · 21 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 5.91 M | +54.2% | 3.78 M | 27.6% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 2.95 M | −5.8% | 482,274 | 13.7% | Port |
| 3 | Huelva | 2.72 M | −13.8% | 357,349 | 12.7% | Port |
| 4 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1.81 M | +8.5% | 1.21 M | 8.4% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 1.4 M | +43.5% | 1.2 M | 6.5% | Port |
| 6 | A Coruña | 1.25 M | +100.8% | 17,065 | 5.8% | Port |
| 7 | Castellón | 1.16 M | −2.7% | 0 | 5.4% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 1.14 M | −0.3% | 1.02 M | 5.3% | Port |
| 9 | Bilbao | 1.04 M | −10.4% | 95,398 | 4.9% | Port |
| 10 | Baleares | 1.01 M | +0.9% | 1.01 M | 4.7% | Port |
| 11 | Cartagena | 621,353 | −27.6% | 183,406 | 2.9% | Port |
| 12 | Motril | 249,311 | +50.2% | 219,721 | 1.2% | Port |
| 13 | Gijón | 104,913 | −2.5% | 104,912 | 0.5% | Port |
| 14 | Valencia | 71,559 | +10.3% | 71,340 | 0.3% | Port |
| 15 | Bahía de Cádiz | 10,898 | +575.6% | 21 | 0.1% | Port |
| 16 | Melilla | 7,037 | +1.2% | 7,037 | 0.0% | Port |
| 17 | Vilagarcía | 5,743 | — | 5,718 | 0.0% | Port |
| 18 | Ceuta | 5,693 | +6.4% | 5,693 | 0.0% | Port |
| 19 | Sevilla | 153 | +225.5% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 20 | Santander | 70 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 21 | Alicante | 1 | −75.0% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Petrol leaves the refineries as liquid bulk and is shipped to other Spanish ports and to foreign markets. 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
Spanish refineries produce more petrol than the domestic market needs, so part of it is exported by sea from ports with a refinery, such as Bahía de Algeciras, Huelva, Tarragona and A Coruña. Barcelona, with its storage and distribution terminals, and the Canary Islands ports, which are supplied by sea, complete the picture.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of petrol have Spanish ports handled this year?
15.7 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 9.2% more than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most petrol?
Barcelona, with 5.91 million tonnes in 2025, 27.6% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
Virtually all of it travelled as liquid bulk 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.