2021 total
18 million passengers
First port · 2021
6.01 million passengers
Series high, 2012–2025
42.5 million passengers
Month with the highest figure
2.96 million passengers
The 2021 balance
Spanish ports received 18 million passengers in 2021, 34.8% more than in 2020 (4.64 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: 2021 was 57.7% below it and ranks 13th of the 14 years with data.
In the 2021 ranking, the ports moving up on 2020 are Barcelona (from 5th to 4th), Málaga (from 9th to 8th) and Bahía de Cádiz (from 12th to 10th); those moving down are Bahía de Algeciras (from 4th to 5th) and Melilla (from 8th to 9th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Baleares ranks first among port authorities with 6.01 million passengers in 2021 (59% more than in 2020). It is followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (4.55 million) and Las Palmas (1.73 million). Together, the three account for 68.4% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Barcelona (+74.7%), Baleares (+59.0%) and Valencia (+51.7%); the steepest falls by Bahía de Algeciras (−15.2%). 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, 1.5 million, +74.7%), Bahía de Algeciras (5th, 1.31 million, −15.2%), Ceuta (6th, 943,457 passengers, +20.0%), Valencia (7th, 635,689 passengers, +51.7%), Málaga (8th, 305,346 passengers, +42.5%), Melilla (9th, 265,474 passengers, +13.2%) and Bahía de Cádiz (10th, 151,952 passengers, +169.5%).
At the bottom of the table are Castellón (1,077 passengers), Avilés (137 passengers) and Pasaia (137 passengers), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 84% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 3.2%. 20 of the 22 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2020, 18 of them by double digits, and 2 fell.
Of the 12 months of 2021 with data, 9 are above the same month of 2020 and 3 below; over the last three months (October, November, December) the figure is up 138.9% on the same months of 2020; the largest year-on-year difference was in January (down 74.6%); the highest point in the series was August, at 2.96 M, and the lowest February, at 525,464.
Between 2012 and 2021 the figure went from 26.9 M to 18 M, a decrease of 33.1% over 9 years (−4.4% 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 · 2021
Month by month · 2021 vs 2020
Annual series, 2012–2021
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2021
| # | Port authorities | 2021 | Change on 2020 | 2020 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baleares | 6.01 M | +59.0% | 3.78 M | 33.4% | Port |
| 2 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 4.55 M | +30.5% | 3.49 M | 25.3% | Port |
| 3 | Las Palmas | 1.73 M | +8.7% | 1.59 M | 9.6% | Port |
| 4 | Barcelona | 1.5 M | +74.7% | 857,966 | 8.3% | Port |
| 5 | Bahía de Algeciras | 1.31 M | −15.2% | 1.55 M | 7.3% | Port |
| 6 | Ceuta | 943,457 | +20.0% | 786,289 | 5.2% | Port |
| 7 | Valencia | 635,689 | +51.7% | 419,121 | 3.5% | Port |
| 8 | Málaga | 305,346 | +42.5% | 214,219 | 1.7% | Port |
| 9 | Melilla | 265,474 | +13.2% | 234,536 | 1.5% | Port |
| 10 | Bahía de Cádiz | 151,952 | +169.5% | 56,385 | 0.8% | Port |
| 11 | Santander | 120,467 | +64.5% | 73,244 | 0.7% | Port |
| 12 | Bilbao | 73,853 | +62.0% | 45,583 | 0.4% | Port |
| 13 | Almería | 73,763 | −41.9% | 127,024 | 0.4% | Port |
| 14 | Cartagena | 70,087 | +271.6% | 18,862 | 0.4% | Port |
| 15 | Alicante | 66,709 | +198.6% | 22,340 | 0.4% | Port |
| 16 | Huelva | 48,692 | +19.2% | 40,845 | 0.3% | Port |
| 17 | Motril | 39,527 | +119.4% | 18,014 | 0.2% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 34,656 | +267.7% | 9,425 | 0.2% | Port |
| 19 | A Coruña | 30,177 | +358.2% | 6,586 | 0.2% | Port |
| 20 | Sevilla | 4,647 | +412.9% | 906 | 0.0% | Port |
| 21 | Gijón | 3,558 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 22 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 3,096 | +1.8% | 3,040 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Tarragona | 1,895 | +29.5% | 1,463 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Vilagarcía | 1,166 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Castellón | 1,077 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Avilés | 137 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Pasaia | 137 | — | 0 | 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 2021?
Baleares, with 6.01 million passengers in 2021, 33.4% of the total.
What was the passenger traffic figure for Spanish ports in 2021?
18 million passengers in 2021, 34.8% more than in 2020.
Was 2021 a record year?
No: the high point of the 2012–2025 series is 2025, with 42.5 million passengers; 2021 was 57.7% below it.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · passengers or see the original source.