2018 total
62.7 million tonnes
First port · 2018
13 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
74.7 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
5.95 million tonnes
The 2018 balance
Spanish ports handled 62.7 million tonnes of ro-ro traffic in 2018, 7.9% more than in 2017 (4.6 million more). This is the year-end balance according to Puertos del Estado’s monthly statistics, with December data for the 28 port authorities.
The high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 74.7 million tonnes: 2018 was 16.1% below it and ranks 7th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2018 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
In the 2018 ranking, the ports moving up on 2017 are Valencia (from 3rd to 2nd) and Bilbao (from 12th to 10th); those moving down are Barcelona (from 2nd to 3rd).
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 13 million tonnes in 2018 (6.9% more than in 2017). It is followed by Valencia (11.8 million) and Barcelona (11.6 million). Together, the three account for 58.1% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Motril (+28.3%), Valencia (+25.1%) and Santander (+18.5%); the steepest falls by Melilla (−19.2%), Ceuta (−2.6%) and Vigo (−1.3%). The comparison is limited to port authorities that account for at least 1% of the total, so that an extreme swing at a small player does not distort the picture.
The rest of the top ten are Bahía de Algeciras (4th, 8.34 million, +8.1%), Las Palmas (5th, 4.25 million, +1.6%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (6th, 3.89 million, +1.9%), Santander (7th, 1.84 million, +18.5%), Vigo (8th, 1.07 million, −1.3%), Bahía de Cádiz (9th, 909,794 tonnes, +1.7%) and Bilbao (10th, 861,173 tonnes, +6.3%).
At the bottom of the table are Ferrol-San Cibrao (63,579 tonnes), Gijón (2,229 tonnes) and Avilés (908 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 78.2% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 8.1%. 13 of the 23 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2017, 5 of them by double digits, and 10 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2018 with data, 12 are above the same month of 2017 and 0 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 9.2% on the same months of 2017; the largest year-on-year difference was in January (up 18%); the highest point in the series was May, at 5.95 M, and the lowest December, at 4.69 M.
Between 2012 and 2018 the figure went from 41.7 M to 62.7 M, an increase of 50.4% over 6 years (+7.0% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2012 (41.7 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2018
Month by month · 2018 vs 2017
Annual series, 2012–2018
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2018
| # | Port authorities | 2018 | Change on 2017 | 2017 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baleares | 13 M | +6.9% | 12.2 M | 20.7% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 11.8 M | +25.1% | 9.45 M | 18.9% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 11.6 M | +3.7% | 11.2 M | 18.5% | Port |
| 4 | Bahía de Algeciras | 8.34 M | +8.1% | 7.71 M | 13.3% | Port |
| 5 | Las Palmas | 4.25 M | +1.6% | 4.18 M | 6.8% | Port |
| 6 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 3.89 M | +1.9% | 3.82 M | 6.2% | Port |
| 7 | Santander | 1.84 M | +18.5% | 1.55 M | 2.9% | Port |
| 8 | Vigo | 1.07 M | −1.3% | 1.08 M | 1.7% | Port |
| 9 | Bahía de Cádiz | 909,794 | +1.7% | 894,289 | 1.5% | Port |
| 10 | Bilbao | 861,173 | +6.3% | 810,439 | 1.4% | Port |
| 11 | Ceuta | 845,411 | −2.6% | 867,997 | 1.3% | Port |
| 12 | Motril | 755,660 | +28.3% | 589,056 | 1.2% | Port |
| 13 | Melilla | 689,038 | −19.2% | 852,972 | 1.1% | Port |
| 14 | Pasaia | 642,637 | +6.9% | 601,098 | 1.0% | Port |
| 15 | Málaga | 517,720 | −2.4% | 530,236 | 0.8% | Port |
| 16 | Almería | 431,601 | −0.3% | 432,697 | 0.7% | Port |
| 17 | Castellón | 397,406 | −26.1% | 537,427 | 0.6% | Port |
| 18 | Tarragona | 286,996 | −3.2% | 296,632 | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Sevilla | 196,014 | −2.8% | 201,609 | 0.3% | Port |
| 20 | Huelva | 176,253 | +16.7% | 151,002 | 0.3% | Port |
| 21 | Alicante | 94,655 | −0.6% | 95,217 | 0.2% | Port |
| 22 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 63,579 | −10.7% | 71,182 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Gijón | 2,229 | +127.9% | 978 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Avilés | 908 | — | — | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | A Coruña | 0 | — | — | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Cartagena | 0 | — | — | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 0 | — | — | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Vilagarcía | 0 | — | — | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) traffic is cargo that is driven on and off the ship: lorries, trailers, platforms and new vehicles. Puertos del Estado measures it in tonnes and in ITUs (intermodal transport units: each lorry, trailer or platform counts as one). It is the traffic of the Motorways of the Sea and of the lines to the Balearic and Canary Islands and North Africa.
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by ro-ro traffic in 2018?
Baleares, with 13 million tonnes in 2018, 20.7% of the total.
What was the ro-ro traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2018?
62.7 million tonnes in 2018, 7.9% more than in 2017.
Was 2018 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2018, 62.7 million tonnes was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 74.7 million tonnes.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · ro-ro traffic by port, annual series or see the original source.