Indicators · Annual archive · 2024

Port traffic in Spain in 2024: the year in review

2024 in figures: total, full ranking of port authorities, rises and falls, and comparison with the series high.

Completed year · Published on · Source · Puertos del EstadoSee the latest data

2024 total

557.8 million tonnes

+2.6% vs 2023 · Sum of the 28 port authorities

First port · 2024

104.1 million tonnes

Bahía de Algeciras · 18.7% of the total · 2nd: Valencia

Series high, 2012–2025

564.5 million tonnes

Year 2019

Month with the highest figure

51.1 million tonnes

May 2024

The 2024 balance

Spanish ports handled 557.8 million tonnes of total traffic in 2024, 2.6% more than in 2023 (14.2 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: 2024 was 1.2% below it and ranks 4th of the 14 years with data.

By port, Bahía de Algeciras ranked first, with 104.1 million tonnes, 18.7% of the total, followed by Valencia (81.3 million) and Barcelona (69.7 million). The full order of the 28 port authorities is in the table.

18 of the 28 port authorities with data ended 2024 above their 2023 figure.

Of the 12 months of 2024 with data, 10 are above the same month of 2023 and 2 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 1.3% on the same months of 2023; the largest year-on-year difference was in May (up 8.4%); the highest point in the series was May, at 51.1 M, and the lowest February, at 43 M.

Between 2012 and 2024 the figure went from 475.2 M to 557.8 M, an increase of 17.4% over 12 years (+1.3% a year on average). The best year was 2019 (564.5 M) and the worst 2013 (459 M).

Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2024

Ranking of port authorities · 2024Bahía de Algeciras104.1 M−0.7%Valencia81.3 M+5.3%Barcelona69.7 M+8.9%Cartagena35.9 M−4.9%Bilbao34.6 M+5.0%Tarragona31.9 M−2.5%Las Palmas31.8 M+14.0%Huelva31.1 M+3.4%Castellón17.5 M+10.9%Baleares17 M+5.1%

Month by month · 2024 vs 2023

Month by month · 2024 vs 202341.4 M44 M46.6 M49.2 M51.8 MJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecDec: 44.6 M
20242023Whole port system

Annual series, 2012–2024

Annual series, 2012–2024149.6 M299.2 M448.8 M598.4 M2012201420162018202020222024557.8 M
Year-end figures

Full table · 28 port authorities · 2024

Ranking of port authorities · 2024
#Port authorities2024Change on 20232023ShareProfile
1Bahía de Algeciras104.1 M−0.7%104.8 M18.7%Port
2Valencia81.3 M+5.3%77.2 M14.6%Port
3Barcelona69.7 M+8.9%64 M12.5%Port
4Cartagena35.9 M−4.9%37.8 M6.4%Port
5Bilbao34.6 M+5.0%32.9 M6.2%Port
6Tarragona31.9 M−2.5%32.7 M5.7%Port
7Las Palmas31.8 M+14.0%27.9 M5.7%Port
8Huelva31.1 M+3.4%30.1 M5.6%Port
9Castellón17.5 M+10.9%15.7 M3.1%Port
10Baleares17 M+5.1%16.2 M3.1%Port
11Gijón15.7 M−17.6%19 M2.8%Port
12A Coruña14.7 M+5.1%14 M2.6%Port
13Santa Cruz de Tenerife14 M+3.0%13.5 M2.5%Port
14Santander7.24 M+2.8%7.04 M1.3%Port
15Ferrol-San Cibrao6.67 M−21.1%8.45 M1.2%Port
16Almería5.58 M+5.6%5.29 M1.0%Port
17Vigo5.5 M+14.0%4.82 M1.0%Port
18Bahía de Cádiz4.73 M−17.7%5.75 M0.8%Port
19Avilés4.65 M+1.5%4.58 M0.8%Port
20Málaga4.51 M+76.5%2.56 M0.8%Port
21Sevilla4.27 M+8.1%3.95 M0.8%Port
22Pasaia3.42 M−2.2%3.49 M0.6%Port
23Alicante3.13 M−2.7%3.21 M0.6%Port
24Motril2.63 M+2.9%2.55 M0.5%Port
25Marín y Ría de Pontevedra2.57 M+21.3%2.12 M0.5%Port
26Ceuta1.77 M−4.8%1.86 M0.3%Port
27Vilagarcía1.42 M−8.8%1.55 M0.3%Port
28Melilla541,213+0.8%536,6630.1%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 2024?

Bahía de Algeciras, with 104.1 million tonnes in 2024, 18.7% of the total.

What was the total traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2024?

557.8 million tonnes in 2024, 2.6% more than in 2023.

Was 2024 a record year?

No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2019, with 564.5 million tonnes; 2024 was 1.2% below it.

Source

Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · overview or see the original source.

NEXT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSEAugust 2, 2027

Totality returns to the Strait of Gibraltar

In less than a year, the Moon's shadow will sweep across southern Spain with over 4 minutes of total darkness over Algeciras, Tarifa, and Gibraltar.

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