Year to date · January–August 2026
67.6 million tonnes
August 2026 only
8.27 million tonnes
First port
47.5 million tonnes
What the data say · August 2026
The Catalan ports of general interest (Barcelona and Tarragona) handled 67.6 million tonnes of total traffic in the year to August 2026, 2.6% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 8.27 million tonnes, 0.6% less than in August 2025.
The Catalan ports account for 18.1% of the Spanish port system’s total traffic in the year to August 2026, which totalled 373 million tonnes.
Barcelona ranks first among port authorities in Catalonia with 47.5 million tonnes in the year to August 2026 (1.3% more than a year earlier). It is followed by Tarragona (20.2 million).
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 5 are above the same month of 2025 and 3 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is down 1.2% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in January (up 11.4%); the highest point in the series was April, at 9.42 M, and the lowest January, at 7.95 M.
Ranking of port authorities in Catalonia · year to date 2026
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025 · Catalonia
Full table · 2 port authorities in Catalonia
What this indicator measures
Catalonia has two port authorities of general interest, Barcelona and Tarragona. This page adds up their total traffic from the Puertos del Estado monthly statistics, compares them and calculates what share of the Spanish port system they represent. Ports run by the Generalitat (Palamós, Roses, Vilanova…) are not included in these statistics.
Context
Barcelona is a port for containers, cruises, ferries and cars; Tarragona is one of Spain’s main bulk ports thanks to its petrochemical cluster and its cereals and animal feed. Their figures therefore respond to different drivers: trade in manufactured goods and tourism in Barcelona, the chemical industry and harvests in Tarragona.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the first port in Catalonia by traffic?
Barcelona, with 47.5 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 70.2% of the total.
What share of Spanish port traffic does Catalonia handle?
18.1% in the year to August 2026: 67.6 million out of the system’s 373 million tonnes.
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 · monthly data by authority or see the original source.