2018 total
36.1 million passengers
First port · 2018
8.94 million passengers
Series high, 2012–2025
42.5 million passengers
Month with the highest figure
5.53 million passengers
The 2018 balance
Spanish ports received 36.1 million passengers in 2018, 6% more than in 2017 (2.03 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: 2018 was 15% below it and ranks 5th 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, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
In the 2018 ranking, the ports moving up on 2017 are Málaga (from 10th to 9th); those moving down are Melilla (from 9th to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 8.94 million passengers in 2018 (8.4% more than in 2017). It is followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (6.08 million) and Bahía de Algeciras (5.95 million). Together, the three account for 58.1% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Bahía de Cádiz (+9.6%), Barcelona (+8.6%) and Baleares (+8.4%); the steepest falls by Melilla (−0.5%). 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, 4.49 million, +8.6%), Las Palmas (5th, 2.7 million, +5.0%), Ceuta (6th, 2.01 million, +5.9%), Valencia (7th, 1.07 million, +0.9%), Almería (8th, 963,907 passengers, +1.3%), Málaga (9th, 873,866 passengers, +8.1%) and Melilla (10th, 828,659 passengers, −0.5%).
At the bottom of the table are Pasaia (1,371 passengers), Vilagarcía (1,158 passengers) and Castellón (568 passengers), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 78.1% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 6%. 19 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2017, 6 of them by double digits, and 9 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2018 with data, 11 are above the same month of 2017 and 1 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 3.3% on the same months of 2017; the largest year-on-year difference was in March (up 22.7%); the highest point in the series was August, at 5.53 M, and the lowest February, at 1.69 M.
Between 2012 and 2018 the figure went from 26.9 M to 36.1 M, an increase of 34.3% over 6 years (+5.0% 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 · 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 | 8.94 M | +8.4% | 8.25 M | 24.8% | Port |
| 2 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 6.08 M | +3.4% | 5.88 M | 16.9% | Port |
| 3 | Bahía de Algeciras | 5.95 M | +7.5% | 5.54 M | 16.5% | Port |
| 4 | Barcelona | 4.49 M | +8.6% | 4.14 M | 12.4% | Port |
| 5 | Las Palmas | 2.7 M | +5.0% | 2.57 M | 7.5% | Port |
| 6 | Ceuta | 2.01 M | +5.9% | 1.9 M | 5.6% | Port |
| 7 | Valencia | 1.07 M | +0.9% | 1.06 M | 3.0% | Port |
| 8 | Almería | 963,907 | +1.3% | 951,468 | 2.7% | Port |
| 9 | Málaga | 873,866 | +8.1% | 808,530 | 2.4% | Port |
| 10 | Melilla | 828,659 | −0.5% | 833,033 | 2.3% | Port |
| 11 | Bahía de Cádiz | 447,545 | +9.6% | 408,255 | 1.2% | Port |
| 12 | Motril | 263,183 | −24.6% | 349,126 | 0.7% | Port |
| 13 | Santander | 252,622 | +7.9% | 234,214 | 0.7% | Port |
| 14 | Cartagena | 229,313 | −2.9% | 236,279 | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Alicante | 227,297 | 0.0% | 227,208 | 0.6% | Port |
| 16 | Bilbao | 200,631 | +7.6% | 186,546 | 0.6% | Port |
| 17 | A Coruña | 178,965 | −2.8% | 184,069 | 0.5% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 158,449 | +13.0% | 140,188 | 0.4% | Port |
| 19 | Tarragona | 98,141 | +91.0% | 51,394 | 0.3% | Port |
| 20 | Huelva | 49,038 | +11.2% | 44,117 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Gijón | 28,771 | +31.9% | 21,813 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 17,534 | −14.0% | 20,379 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Sevilla | 15,813 | −33.9% | 23,916 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Avilés | 1,986 | −20.9% | 2,512 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Pasaia | 1,371 | +68.2% | 815 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Vilagarcía | 1,158 | −27.4% | 1,596 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Castellón | 568 | +38.2% | 411 | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 0 | −100.0% | 143 | 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 2018?
Baleares, with 8.94 million passengers in 2018, 24.8% of the total.
What was the passenger traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2018?
36.1 million passengers in 2018, 6% more than in 2017.
Was 2018 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2018, 36.1 million passengers was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 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.