2016 total
509.5 million tonnes
First port · 2016
103.2 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
564.5 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
45.8 million tonnes
The 2016 balance
Spanish ports handled 509.5 million tonnes of total traffic in 2016, 1.4% more than in 2015 (7.07 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: 2016 was 9.7% below it and ranks 10th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2016 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
By port, Bahía de Algeciras ranked first, with 103.2 million tonnes, 20.3% of the total, followed by Valencia (71.5 million) and Barcelona (48.7 million). The full order of the 28 port authorities is in the table.
16 of the 28 port authorities with data ended 2016 above their 2015 figure.
Of the 12 months of 2016 with data, 8 are above the same month of 2015 and 4 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 1.5% on the same months of 2015; the largest year-on-year difference was in March (up 7.4%); the highest point in the series was March, at 45.8 M, and the lowest February, at 38.8 M.
Between 2012 and 2016 the figure went from 475.2 M to 509.5 M, an increase of 7.2% over 4 years (+1.8% 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 · 2016
Month by month · 2016 vs 2015
Annual series, 2012–2016
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2016
| # | Port authorities | 2016 | Change on 2015 | 2015 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 103.2 M | +5.0% | 98.2 M | 20.3% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 71.5 M | +2.0% | 70.1 M | 14.0% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 48.7 M | +3.4% | 47 M | 9.5% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 32.1 M | −2.5% | 32.9 M | 6.3% | Port |
| 5 | Cartagena | 31.9 M | −2.4% | 32.7 M | 6.3% | Port |
| 6 | Tarragona | 31.4 M | −5.1% | 33 M | 6.2% | Port |
| 7 | Huelva | 30.6 M | +11.6% | 27.4 M | 6.0% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 22.8 M | −3.3% | 23.6 M | 4.5% | Port |
| 9 | Gijón | 18.4 M | −13.5% | 21.3 M | 3.6% | Port |
| 10 | Castellón | 17.1 M | +3.7% | 16.5 M | 3.4% | Port |
| 11 | Baleares | 14.9 M | +10.4% | 13.5 M | 2.9% | Port |
| 12 | A Coruña | 13.9 M | −1.6% | 14.2 M | 2.7% | Port |
| 13 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 13.6 M | +7.9% | 12.6 M | 2.7% | Port |
| 14 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 12.5 M | −2.0% | 12.8 M | 2.5% | Port |
| 15 | Almería | 5.47 M | −15.4% | 6.47 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 16 | Avilés | 4.97 M | −3.9% | 5.17 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 17 | Santander | 4.87 M | −13.7% | 5.64 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 18 | Sevilla | 4.82 M | +2.8% | 4.69 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 19 | Vigo | 4.12 M | −4.0% | 4.29 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 20 | Bahía de Cádiz | 3.66 M | +7.3% | 3.41 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 21 | Alicante | 3.47 M | +32.7% | 2.62 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 22 | Pasaia | 3.45 M | −8.9% | 3.79 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 23 | Málaga | 2.95 M | +26.5% | 2.34 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 24 | Ceuta | 2.48 M | +17.5% | 2.11 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 25 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 2.35 M | +9.6% | 2.14 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 26 | Motril | 2.19 M | +10.3% | 1.99 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 27 | Melilla | 1.16 M | +12.7% | 1.03 M | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Vilagarcía | 1.11 M | +8.0% | 1.03 M | 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 2016?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 103.2 million tonnes in 2016, 20.3% of the total.
What was the total traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2016?
509.5 million tonnes in 2016, 1.4% more than in 2015.
Was 2016 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2016, 509.5 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 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.