2015 total
502.4 million tonnes
First port · 2015
98.2 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
564.5 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
43.7 million tonnes
The 2015 balance
Spanish ports handled 502.4 million tonnes of total traffic in 2015, 4.2% more than in 2014 (20.4 million more). These are the final figures from Puertos del Estado’s statistical yearbook for the 28 port authorities.
The high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2019, with 564.5 million tonnes: 2015 was 11% below it and ranks 11th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2015 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
By port, Bahía de Algeciras ranked first, with 98.2 million tonnes, 19.5% of the total, followed by Valencia (70.1 million) and Barcelona (47 million). The full order of the 28 port authorities is in the table.
24 of the 28 port authorities with data ended 2015 above their 2014 figure.
Of the 12 months of 2015 with data, 11 are above the same month of 2014 and 1 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 3.6% on the same months of 2014; the largest year-on-year difference was in June (up 8.4%); the highest point in the series was May, at 43.7 M, and the lowest February, at 37.7 M.
Between 2012 and 2015 the figure went from 475.2 M to 502.4 M, an increase of 5.7% over 3 years (+1.9% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2013 (459 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2015
Month by month · 2015 vs 2014
Annual series, 2012–2015
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2015
| # | Port authorities | 2015 | Change on 2014 | 2014 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 98.2 M | +3.5% | 94.9 M | 19.5% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 70.1 M | +4.6% | 67 M | 13.9% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 47 M | +1.5% | 46.3 M | 9.4% | Port |
| 4 | Tarragona | 33 M | +3.6% | 31.9 M | 6.6% | Port |
| 5 | Bilbao | 32.9 M | +6.0% | 31 M | 6.5% | Port |
| 6 | Cartagena | 32.7 M | +0.5% | 32.5 M | 6.5% | Port |
| 7 | Huelva | 27.4 M | −0.2% | 27.4 M | 5.4% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 23.6 M | +6.1% | 22.2 M | 4.7% | Port |
| 9 | Gijón | 21.3 M | +12.0% | 19 M | 4.2% | Port |
| 10 | Castellón | 16.5 M | +5.5% | 15.6 M | 3.3% | Port |
| 11 | A Coruña | 14.2 M | +18.4% | 12 M | 2.8% | Port |
| 12 | Baleares | 13.5 M | +5.2% | 12.9 M | 2.7% | Port |
| 13 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 12.8 M | −2.4% | 13.1 M | 2.5% | Port |
| 14 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 12.6 M | +1.7% | 12.4 M | 2.5% | Port |
| 15 | Almería | 6.47 M | +25.8% | 5.14 M | 1.3% | Port |
| 16 | Santander | 5.64 M | +6.1% | 5.32 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 17 | Avilés | 5.17 M | +6.4% | 4.86 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 18 | Sevilla | 4.69 M | +6.6% | 4.4 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 19 | Vigo | 4.29 M | +5.0% | 4.09 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 20 | Pasaia | 3.79 M | +8.3% | 3.5 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 21 | Bahía de Cádiz | 3.41 M | −3.7% | 3.54 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 22 | Alicante | 2.62 M | +6.3% | 2.46 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 23 | Málaga | 2.34 M | +0.8% | 2.32 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 24 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 2.14 M | +11.2% | 1.93 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 25 | Ceuta | 2.11 M | −8.7% | 2.31 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 26 | Motril | 1.99 M | +3.1% | 1.93 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 27 | Melilla | 1.03 M | +2.5% | 1.01 M | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Vilagarcía | 1.03 M | +4.1% | 989,082 | 0.2% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Total traffic is the sum of all tonnes entering, leaving or passing through the 46 ports of general interest, grouped into 28 port authorities. It includes liquid bulk (crude oil, gas, petroleum products), dry bulk (coal, cereals, minerals), general cargo (containers and ro-ro), bunkering and supplies, fresh fish and internal traffic. It is the broadest measure of port activity and the one Puertos del Estado uses for its official results.
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by total traffic in 2015?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 98.2 million tonnes in 2015, 19.5% of the total.
What was the total traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2015?
502.4 million tonnes in 2015, 4.2% more than in 2014.
Was 2015 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2015, 502.4 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2019, with 564.5 million tonnes.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · overview or see the original source.