2017 total
34.1 million passengers
First port · 2017
8.25 million passengers
Series high, 2012–2025
42.5 million passengers
Month with the highest figure
5.3 million passengers
The 2017 balance
Spanish ports received 34.1 million passengers in 2017, 4.9% more than in 2016 (1.58 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: 2017 was 19.8% below it and ranks 6th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2017 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
In the 2017 ranking, the ports moving up on 2016 are Santa Cruz de Tenerife (from 3rd to 2nd) and Almería (from 9th to 8th); those moving down are Bahía de Algeciras (from 2nd to 3rd) and Melilla (from 8th to 9th).
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 8.25 million passengers in 2017 (6% more than in 2016). It is followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (5.88 million) and Bahía de Algeciras (5.54 million). Together, the three account for 57.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Valencia (+16.7%), Almería (+15.0%) and Málaga (+11.9%); the steepest falls by Motril (−15.7%), Melilla (−6.4%) and Ceuta (−2.2%). 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, 4.14 million, +4.5%), Las Palmas (5th, 2.57 million, +7.7%), Ceuta (6th, 1.9 million, −2.2%), Valencia (7th, 1.06 million, +16.7%), Almería (8th, 951,468 passengers, +15.0%), Melilla (9th, 833,033 passengers, −6.4%) and Málaga (10th, 808,530 passengers, +11.9%).
At the bottom of the table are Pasaia (815 passengers), Castellón (411 passengers) and Marín y Ría de Pontevedra (143 passengers), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 77.4% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 6.3%. 16 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2016, 10 of them by double digits, and 11 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2017 with data, 9 are above the same month of 2016 and 3 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 11.3% on the same months of 2016; the largest year-on-year difference was in April (up 18.4%); the highest point in the series was August, at 5.3 M, and the lowest February, at 1.48 M.
Between 2012 and 2017 the figure went from 26.9 M to 34.1 M, an increase of 26.7% over 5 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 · 2017
Month by month · 2017 vs 2016
Annual series, 2012–2017
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2017
| # | Port authorities | 2017 | Change on 2016 | 2016 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baleares | 8.25 M | +6.0% | 7.78 M | 24.2% | Port |
| 2 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 5.88 M | +10.4% | 5.33 M | 17.3% | Port |
| 3 | Bahía de Algeciras | 5.54 M | −1.4% | 5.62 M | 16.3% | Port |
| 4 | Barcelona | 4.14 M | +4.5% | 3.96 M | 12.1% | Port |
| 5 | Las Palmas | 2.57 M | +7.7% | 2.39 M | 7.6% | Port |
| 6 | Ceuta | 1.9 M | −2.2% | 1.94 M | 5.6% | Port |
| 7 | Valencia | 1.06 M | +16.7% | 910,200 | 3.1% | Port |
| 8 | Almería | 951,468 | +15.0% | 827,251 | 2.8% | Port |
| 9 | Melilla | 833,033 | −6.4% | 889,954 | 2.4% | Port |
| 10 | Málaga | 808,530 | +11.9% | 722,838 | 2.4% | Port |
| 11 | Bahía de Cádiz | 408,255 | +0.5% | 406,158 | 1.2% | Port |
| 12 | Motril | 349,126 | −15.7% | 414,096 | 1.0% | Port |
| 13 | Cartagena | 236,279 | +25.8% | 187,813 | 0.7% | Port |
| 14 | Santander | 234,214 | +7.1% | 218,643 | 0.7% | Port |
| 15 | Alicante | 227,208 | −11.5% | 256,671 | 0.7% | Port |
| 16 | Bilbao | 186,546 | −2.1% | 190,626 | 0.5% | Port |
| 17 | A Coruña | 184,069 | +45.2% | 126,735 | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 140,188 | −17.2% | 169,223 | 0.4% | Port |
| 19 | Tarragona | 51,394 | +282.3% | 13,445 | 0.2% | Port |
| 20 | Huelva | 44,117 | −22.4% | 56,860 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 23,916 | +13.8% | 21,010 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Gijón | 21,813 | −33.5% | 32,804 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 20,379 | +1.6% | 20,061 | 0.1% | Port |
| 24 | Avilés | 2,512 | −7.2% | 2,707 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Vilagarcía | 1,596 | +110.6% | 758 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Pasaia | 815 | +37.0% | 595 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Castellón | 411 | −62.5% | 1,095 | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 143 | — | 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 2017?
Baleares, with 8.25 million passengers in 2017, 24.2% of the total.
What was the passenger traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2017?
34.1 million passengers in 2017, 4.9% more than in 2016.
Was 2017 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2017, 34.1 million passengers was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 2018, 2019, 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.