2016 total
32.5 million passengers
First port · 2016
7.78 million passengers
Series high, 2012–2025
42.5 million passengers
Month with the highest figure
5.16 million passengers
The 2016 balance
Spanish ports received 32.5 million passengers in 2016, 4.6% more than in 2015 (1.42 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: 2016 was 23.5% below it and ranks 8th 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, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
In the 2016 ranking, the ports moving up on 2015 are Valencia (from 8th to 7th); those moving down are Melilla (from 7th to 8th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 7.78 million passengers in 2016 (10.3% more than in 2015). It is followed by Bahía de Algeciras (5.62 million) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (5.33 million). Together, the three account for 57.6% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Valencia (+22.2%), Almería (+18.5%) and Baleares (+10.3%); the steepest falls by Bahía de Cádiz (−6.2%), Las Palmas (−5.8%) and 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, 3.96 million, +6.8%), Las Palmas (5th, 2.39 million, −5.8%), Ceuta (6th, 1.94 million, −2.2%), Valencia (7th, 910,200 passengers, +22.2%), Melilla (8th, 889,954 passengers, +5.4%), Almería (9th, 827,251 passengers, +18.5%) and Málaga (10th, 722,838 passengers, +6.2%).
At the bottom of the table are Castellón (1,095 passengers), Vilagarcía (758 passengers) and Pasaia (595 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 6.5%. 17 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2015, 10 of them by double digits, and 10 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2016 with data, 9 are above the same month of 2015 and 3 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is down 13.3% on the same months of 2015; the largest year-on-year difference was in December (down 37.3%); the highest point in the series was August, at 5.16 M, and the lowest February, at 1.51 M.
Between 2012 and 2016 the figure went from 26.9 M to 32.5 M, an increase of 20.8% over 4 years (+4.8% 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 · 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 | Baleares | 7.78 M | +10.3% | 7.06 M | 24.0% | Port |
| 2 | Bahía de Algeciras | 5.62 M | +1.6% | 5.53 M | 17.3% | Port |
| 3 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 5.33 M | +3.1% | 5.17 M | 16.4% | Port |
| 4 | Barcelona | 3.96 M | +6.8% | 3.71 M | 12.2% | Port |
| 5 | Las Palmas | 2.39 M | −5.8% | 2.54 M | 7.4% | Port |
| 6 | Ceuta | 1.94 M | −2.2% | 1.99 M | 6.0% | Port |
| 7 | Valencia | 910,200 | +22.2% | 744,923 | 2.8% | Port |
| 8 | Melilla | 889,954 | +5.4% | 844,260 | 2.7% | Port |
| 9 | Almería | 827,251 | +18.5% | 698,384 | 2.5% | Port |
| 10 | Málaga | 722,838 | +6.2% | 680,614 | 2.2% | Port |
| 11 | Motril | 414,096 | −3.7% | 430,002 | 1.3% | Port |
| 12 | Bahía de Cádiz | 406,158 | −6.2% | 432,805 | 1.2% | Port |
| 13 | Alicante | 256,671 | −3.4% | 265,679 | 0.8% | Port |
| 14 | Santander | 218,643 | +0.5% | 217,533 | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Bilbao | 190,626 | +15.2% | 165,523 | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Cartagena | 187,813 | +24.5% | 150,795 | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | Vigo | 169,223 | −17.4% | 204,979 | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | A Coruña | 126,735 | −9.8% | 140,451 | 0.4% | Port |
| 19 | Huelva | 56,860 | +52.9% | 37,190 | 0.2% | Port |
| 20 | Gijón | 32,804 | +103.2% | 16,140 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 21,010 | +18.5% | 17,730 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 20,061 | −6.9% | 21,559 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Tarragona | 13,445 | +9.5% | 12,277 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Avilés | 2,707 | +10.3% | 2,454 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Castellón | 1,095 | +199.2% | 366 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Vilagarcía | 758 | −36.3% | 1,190 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Pasaia | 595 | −21.5% | 758 | 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 2016?
Baleares, with 7.78 million passengers in 2016, 24% of the total.
What was the passenger traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2016?
32.5 million passengers in 2016, 4.6% more than in 2015.
Was 2016 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2016, 32.5 million passengers was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 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.