2019 total
37.6 million passengers
First port · 2019
9.52 million passengers
Series high, 2012–2025
42.5 million passengers
Month with the highest figure
6.0 million passengers
The 2019 balance
Spanish ports received 37.6 million passengers in 2019, 4.2% more than in 2018 (1.51 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: 2019 was 11.5% below it and ranks 4th of the 14 years with data. At the end of 2019 it was the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2012; it was later exceeded in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The top ten positions in the 2019 ranking are the same, and in the same order, as in 2018.
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 9.52 million passengers in 2019 (6.5% more than in 2018). It is followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (6.31 million) and Bahía de Algeciras (6.1 million). Together, the three account for 58.3% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Bahía de Cádiz (+11.7%), Las Palmas (+11.0%) and Baleares (+6.5%); the steepest falls by Almería (−0.6%). 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, 4.63 million, +3.0%), Las Palmas (5th, 3.0 million, +11.0%), Ceuta (6th, 2.11 million, +4.9%), Valencia (7th, 1.11 million, +3.8%), Almería (8th, 958,384 passengers, −0.6%), Málaga (9th, 889,024 passengers, +1.7%) and Melilla (10th, 842,983 passengers, +1.7%).
At the bottom of the table are Avilés (4,544 passengers), Vilagarcía (890 passengers) and Pasaia (205 passengers), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 78.6% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 5.7%. 15 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2018, 6 of them by double digits, and 12 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2019 with data, 10 are above the same month of 2018 and 2 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 2.3% on the same months of 2018; the largest year-on-year difference was in August (up 8.7%); the highest point in the series was August, at 6.0 M, and the lowest February, at 1.74 M.
Between 2012 and 2019 the figure went from 26.9 M to 37.6 M, an increase of 39.9% over 7 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 · 2019
Month by month · 2019 vs 2018
Annual series, 2012–2019
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2019
| # | Port authorities | 2019 | Change on 2018 | 2018 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baleares | 9.52 M | +6.5% | 8.94 M | 25.3% | Port |
| 2 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 6.31 M | +3.6% | 6.08 M | 16.8% | Port |
| 3 | Bahía de Algeciras | 6.1 M | +2.5% | 5.95 M | 16.2% | Port |
| 4 | Barcelona | 4.63 M | +3.0% | 4.49 M | 12.3% | Port |
| 5 | Las Palmas | 3.0 M | +11.0% | 2.7 M | 8.0% | Port |
| 6 | Ceuta | 2.11 M | +4.9% | 2.01 M | 5.6% | Port |
| 7 | Valencia | 1.11 M | +3.8% | 1.07 M | 3.0% | Port |
| 8 | Almería | 958,384 | −0.6% | 963,907 | 2.5% | Port |
| 9 | Málaga | 889,024 | +1.7% | 873,866 | 2.4% | Port |
| 10 | Melilla | 842,983 | +1.7% | 828,659 | 2.2% | Port |
| 11 | Bahía de Cádiz | 499,710 | +11.7% | 447,545 | 1.3% | Port |
| 12 | Cartagena | 250,058 | +9.0% | 229,313 | 0.7% | Port |
| 13 | Motril | 242,393 | −7.9% | 263,183 | 0.6% | Port |
| 14 | Santander | 235,625 | −6.7% | 252,622 | 0.6% | Port |
| 15 | Alicante | 206,457 | −9.2% | 227,297 | 0.5% | Port |
| 16 | Bilbao | 160,544 | −20.0% | 200,631 | 0.4% | Port |
| 17 | A Coruña | 160,256 | −10.5% | 178,965 | 0.4% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 141,704 | −10.6% | 158,449 | 0.4% | Port |
| 19 | Tarragona | 128,089 | +30.5% | 98,141 | 0.3% | Port |
| 20 | Huelva | 44,601 | −9.0% | 49,038 | 0.1% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 20,518 | +29.8% | 15,813 | 0.1% | Port |
| 22 | Gijón | 15,434 | −46.4% | 28,771 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 14,928 | −14.9% | 17,534 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Castellón | 5,462 | +861.6% | 568 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Avilés | 4,544 | +128.8% | 1,986 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Vilagarcía | 890 | −23.1% | 1,158 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Pasaia | 205 | −85.0% | 1,371 | 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 2019?
Baleares, with 9.52 million passengers in 2019, 25.3% of the total.
What was the passenger traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2019?
37.6 million passengers in 2019, 4.2% more than in 2018.
Was 2019 a record year?
At the time, yes: at the end of 2019, 37.6 million passengers was the highest annual figure in the series, which starts in 2012. It was later exceeded in 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.