2021 total
544.4 million tonnes
First port · 2021
105.1 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
564.5 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
48.7 million tonnes
The 2021 balance
Spanish ports handled 544.4 million tonnes of total traffic in 2021, 5.6% more than in 2020 (28.8 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: 2021 was 3.6% below it and ranks 7th of the 14 years with data.
By port, Bahía de Algeciras ranked first, with 105.1 million tonnes, 19.3% of the total, followed by Valencia (85.3 million) and Barcelona (66.4 million). The full order of the 28 port authorities is in the table.
21 of the 28 port authorities with data ended 2021 above their 2020 figure.
Of the 12 months of 2021 with data, 10 are above the same month of 2020 and 2 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 4.5% on the same months of 2020; the largest year-on-year difference was in May (up 18.8%); the highest point in the series was August, at 48.7 M, and the lowest February, at 40.6 M.
Between 2012 and 2021 the figure went from 475.2 M to 544.4 M, an increase of 14.6% over 9 years (+1.5% a year on average). The best year was 2019 (564.5 M) and the worst 2013 (459 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2021
Month by month · 2021 vs 2020
Annual series, 2012–2021
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2021
| # | Port authorities | 2021 | Change on 2020 | 2020 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 105.1 M | −2.1% | 107.3 M | 19.3% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 85.3 M | +5.4% | 80.9 M | 15.7% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 66.4 M | +11.6% | 59.5 M | 12.2% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 31.3 M | +5.6% | 29.6 M | 5.7% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 31.3 M | +18.0% | 26.5 M | 5.7% | Port |
| 6 | Cartagena | 31.2 M | −5.1% | 32.9 M | 5.7% | Port |
| 7 | Huelva | 30.7 M | +2.6% | 29.9 M | 5.6% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 28.2 M | +9.5% | 25.8 M | 5.2% | Port |
| 9 | Castellón | 21.2 M | +14.5% | 18.5 M | 3.9% | Port |
| 10 | Gijón | 16.7 M | +3.3% | 16.1 M | 3.1% | Port |
| 11 | Baleares | 13.8 M | +11.4% | 12.4 M | 2.5% | Port |
| 12 | A Coruña | 11.9 M | +12.1% | 10.6 M | 2.2% | Port |
| 13 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 11.1 M | +1.6% | 11 M | 2.0% | Port |
| 14 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 9.96 M | −0.7% | 10 M | 1.8% | Port |
| 15 | Santander | 6.77 M | +15.4% | 5.87 M | 1.2% | Port |
| 16 | Almería | 5.83 M | +20.8% | 4.83 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 17 | Bahía de Cádiz | 4.94 M | +11.1% | 4.45 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 4.81 M | +7.0% | 4.5 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 19 | Avilés | 4.71 M | +14.2% | 4.12 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 20 | Málaga | 4.49 M | +62.6% | 2.76 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 4.2 M | −0.6% | 4.23 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 22 | Pasaia | 3.54 M | +16.5% | 3.04 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 23 | Alicante | 2.65 M | −3.1% | 2.73 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 24 | Motril | 2.53 M | +14.2% | 2.21 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 25 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 2.18 M | +4.3% | 2.09 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 1.57 M | −15.0% | 1.85 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 27 | Vilagarcía | 1.51 M | +24.9% | 1.21 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 28 | Melilla | 601,613 | −3.8% | 625,244 | 0.1% | 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 2021?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 105.1 million tonnes in 2021, 19.3% of the total.
What was the total traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2021?
544.4 million tonnes in 2021, 5.6% more than in 2020.
Was 2021 a record year?
No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2019, with 564.5 million tonnes; 2021 was 3.6% below it.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · overview or see the original source.