2020 total
13.3 million passengers
First port · 2020
3.78 million passengers
Series high, 2012–2025
42.5 million passengers
Month with the highest figure
2.08 million passengers
The 2020 balance
Spanish ports received 13.3 million passengers in 2020, 64.5% less than in 2019 (24.3 million less). 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: 2020 was 68.6% below it and ranks 14th of the 14 years with data. It is the lowest figure in the whole series.
In the 2020 ranking, the ports moving up on 2019 are Las Palmas (from 5th to 3rd) and Melilla (from 10th to 8th); those moving down are Bahía de Algeciras (from 3rd to 4th), Barcelona (from 4th to 5th) and Almería (from 8th to 10th).
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 3.78 million passengers in 2020 (60.3% less than in 2019). It is followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (3.49 million) and Las Palmas (1.59 million). Together, the three account for 66.4% of the total.
The steepest falls were recorded by Barcelona (−81.5%), Málaga (−75.9%) and Bahía de Algeciras (−74.7%). 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 Bahía de Algeciras (4th, 1.55 million, −74.7%), Barcelona (5th, 857,966 passengers, −81.5%), Ceuta (6th, 786,289 passengers, −62.7%), Valencia (7th, 419,121 passengers, −62.3%), Melilla (8th, 234,536 passengers, −72.2%), Málaga (9th, 214,219 passengers, −75.9%) and Almería (10th, 127,024 passengers, −86.7%).
At the bottom of the table are Ferrol-San Cibrao (3,040 passengers), Tarragona (1,463 passengers) and Sevilla (906 passengers), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 84.4% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 2.2%. 0 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2019 and 27 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2020 with data, 2 are above the same month of 2019 and 10 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is down 70.3% on the same months of 2019; the largest year-on-year difference was in August (down 65.5%); the highest point in the series was January, at 2.08 M, and the lowest April, at 109,858.
Between 2012 and 2020 the figure went from 26.9 M to 13.3 M, a decrease of 50.4% over 8 years (−8.4% a year on average). The best year was 2019 (37.6 M) and the worst 2020 (13.3 M).
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2020
Month by month · 2020 vs 2019
Annual series, 2012–2020
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2020
| # | Port authorities | 2020 | Change on 2019 | 2019 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baleares | 3.78 M | −60.3% | 9.52 M | 28.4% | Port |
| 2 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 3.49 M | −44.7% | 6.31 M | 26.1% | Port |
| 3 | Las Palmas | 1.59 M | −47.0% | 3.0 M | 11.9% | Port |
| 4 | Bahía de Algeciras | 1.55 M | −74.7% | 6.1 M | 11.6% | Port |
| 5 | Barcelona | 857,966 | −81.5% | 4.63 M | 6.4% | Port |
| 6 | Ceuta | 786,289 | −62.7% | 2.11 M | 5.9% | Port |
| 7 | Valencia | 419,121 | −62.3% | 1.11 M | 3.1% | Port |
| 8 | Melilla | 234,536 | −72.2% | 842,983 | 1.8% | Port |
| 9 | Málaga | 214,219 | −75.9% | 889,024 | 1.6% | Port |
| 10 | Almería | 127,024 | −86.7% | 958,384 | 1.0% | Port |
| 11 | Santander | 73,244 | −68.9% | 235,625 | 0.5% | Port |
| 12 | Bahía de Cádiz | 56,385 | −88.7% | 499,710 | 0.4% | Port |
| 13 | Bilbao | 45,583 | −71.6% | 160,544 | 0.3% | Port |
| 14 | Huelva | 40,845 | −8.4% | 44,601 | 0.3% | Port |
| 15 | Alicante | 22,340 | −89.2% | 206,457 | 0.2% | Port |
| 16 | Cartagena | 18,862 | −92.5% | 250,058 | 0.1% | Port |
| 17 | Motril | 18,014 | −92.6% | 242,393 | 0.1% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 9,425 | −93.3% | 141,704 | 0.1% | Port |
| 19 | A Coruña | 6,586 | −95.9% | 160,256 | 0.0% | Port |
| 20 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 3,040 | −79.6% | 14,928 | 0.0% | Port |
| 21 | Tarragona | 1,463 | −98.9% | 128,089 | 0.0% | Port |
| 22 | Sevilla | 906 | −95.6% | 20,518 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Castellón | 0 | −100.0% | 5,462 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Gijón | 0 | −100.0% | 15,434 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Avilés | 0 | −100.0% | 4,544 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Pasaia | 0 | −100.0% | 205 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Vilagarcía | 0 | −100.0% | 890 | 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 2020?
Baleares, with 3.78 million passengers in 2020, 28.4% of the total.
What was the passenger traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2020?
13.3 million passengers in 2020, 64.5% less than in 2019.
Was 2020 a record year?
No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 42.5 million passengers; 2020 was 68.6% below it.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · passengers or see the original source.