2015 total
31.1 million passengers
First port · 2015
7.06 million passengers
Series high, 2012–2025
42.5 million passengers
Month with the highest figure
4.69 million passengers
The 2015 balance
Spanish ports received 31.1 million passengers in 2015, 5.9% more than in 2014 (1.74 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 2025, with 42.5 million passengers: 2015 was 26.9% below it and ranks 9th 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, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The top ten positions in the 2015 ranking are the same, and in the same order, as in 2014.
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 7.06 million passengers in 2015 (9.1% more than in 2014). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (5.53 million) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (5.17 million). Together, the three account for 57.1% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Las Palmas (+10.8%), Málaga (+9.4%) and Melilla (+9.3%); the steepest falls by Motril (−3.7%). 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 Barcelona (4th, 3.71 million, +7.2%), Las Palmas (5th, 2.54 million, +10.8%), Ceuta (6th, 1.99 million, +1.3%), Melilla (7th, 844,260 passengers, +9.3%), Valencia (8th, 744,923 passengers, +7.6%), Almería (9th, 698,384 passengers, +7.2%) and Málaga (10th, 680,614 passengers, +9.4%).
At the bottom of the table are Vilagarcía (1,190 passengers), Pasaia (758 passengers) and Castellón (366 passengers), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 77.2% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 6.8%. 23 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2014, 10 of them by double digits, and 4 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2015 with data, 10 are above the same month of 2014 and 2 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 28.9% on the same months of 2014; the largest year-on-year difference was in December (up 65%); the highest point in the series was August, at 4.69 M, and the lowest February, at 1.47 M.
Between 2012 and 2015 the figure went from 26.9 M to 31.1 M, an increase of 15.6% over 3 years (+4.9% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2012 (26.9 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 | Baleares | 7.06 M | +9.1% | 6.47 M | 22.7% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 5.53 M | +3.1% | 5.36 M | 17.8% | Port |
| 3 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 5.17 M | +3.5% | 4.99 M | 16.6% | Port |
| 4 | Barcelona | 3.71 M | +7.2% | 3.46 M | 11.9% | Port |
| 5 | Las Palmas | 2.54 M | +10.8% | 2.29 M | 8.2% | Port |
| 6 | Ceuta | 1.99 M | +1.3% | 1.96 M | 6.4% | Port |
| 7 | Melilla | 844,260 | +9.3% | 772,134 | 2.7% | Port |
| 8 | Valencia | 744,923 | +7.6% | 692,471 | 2.4% | Port |
| 9 | Almería | 698,384 | +7.2% | 651,274 | 2.2% | Port |
| 10 | Málaga | 680,614 | +9.4% | 622,343 | 2.2% | Port |
| 11 | Bahía de Cádiz | 432,805 | +7.7% | 402,035 | 1.4% | Port |
| 12 | Motril | 430,002 | −3.7% | 446,459 | 1.4% | Port |
| 13 | Alicante | 265,679 | +19.9% | 221,652 | 0.9% | Port |
| 14 | Santander | 217,533 | −2.9% | 223,970 | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Vigo | 204,979 | +16.5% | 176,019 | 0.7% | Port |
| 16 | Bilbao | 165,523 | +2.7% | 161,242 | 0.5% | Port |
| 17 | Cartagena | 150,795 | +9.3% | 137,989 | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | A Coruña | 140,451 | +8.4% | 129,597 | 0.5% | Port |
| 19 | Huelva | 37,190 | +10.6% | 33,635 | 0.1% | Port |
| 20 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 21,559 | −44.7% | 39,017 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 17,730 | +11.0% | 15,970 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Gijón | 16,140 | −75.8% | 66,788 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Tarragona | 12,277 | +547.9% | 1,895 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Avilés | 2,454 | +244.2% | 713 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Vilagarcía | 1,190 | +15.3% | 1,032 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Pasaia | 758 | +12.3% | 675 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Castellón | 366 | +181.5% | 130 | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Total passengers include scheduled lines (ferries to the Balearic and Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, Morocco, Algeria and Italy), cruises and harbour services. It is a highly seasonal traffic: July and August bring Operation Crossing the Strait (Operación Paso del Estrecho) and the Balearic high season, while cruises peak in spring and autumn.
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by passenger traffic in 2015?
Baleares, with 7.06 million passengers in 2015, 22.7% of the total.
What was the passenger traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2015?
31.1 million passengers in 2015, 5.9% more than in 2014.
Was 2015 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2015, 31.1 million passengers was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 42.5 million passengers.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · passengers or see the original source.