First port · 2018
107.4 million tonnes
2018 total
563.6 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
564.5 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
48.9 million tonnes
The 2018 balance
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 107.4 million tonnes in 2018 (5.7% more than in 2017). It is followed by Valencia (76.6 million) and Barcelona (67.8 million). Together, the three account for 44.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Castellón (+18.0%), Almería (+10.6%) and Barcelona (+10.4%); the steepest falls by Gijón (−9.7%), Tarragona (−4.8%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (−4.6%). 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 Bilbao (4th, 35.7 million, +4.0%), Cartagena (5th, 33.9 million, −2.2%), Huelva (6th, 33 million, +2.0%), Tarragona (7th, 32.1 million, −4.8%), Las Palmas (8th, 27 million, −0.2%), Castellón (9th, 21.1 million, +18.0%) and Gijón (10th, 19.7 million, −9.7%).
At the bottom of the table are Ceuta (2.45 million), Vilagarcía (1.21 million) and Melilla (873,529 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 57% of the total and 10 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 19.4%. 18 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2017, 5 of them by double digits, and 10 fell.
Spanish ports handled 563.6 million tonnes of total traffic in 2018, 3.4% more than in 2017 (18.3 million more). These are the final figures from Puertos del Estado’s statistical yearbook for the 28 port authorities.
In the 2018 ranking, the ports moving up on 2017 are Bilbao (from 5th to 4th), Huelva (from 7th to 6th) and Castellón (from 10th to 9th); those moving down are Cartagena (from 4th to 5th), Tarragona (from 6th to 7th) and Gijón (from 9th to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2018
What this indicator measures
The ranking orders the 28 port authorities by tonnes accumulated over the year, which is the most stable comparison: a single month can swing because of one large call or a refinery shutdown. The share shows what part of the system each port represents, and the change compares with the same period of the previous year.
Full table · 28 port authorities · 2018
| # | Port authorities | 2018 | Change on 2017 | 2017 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 107.4 M | +5.7% | 101.6 M | 19.1% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 76.6 M | +4.2% | 73.6 M | 13.6% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 67.8 M | +10.4% | 61.4 M | 12.0% | Port |
| 4 | Bilbao | 35.7 M | +4.0% | 34.3 M | 6.3% | Port |
| 5 | Cartagena | 33.9 M | −2.2% | 34.7 M | 6.0% | Port |
| 6 | Huelva | 33 M | +2.0% | 32.3 M | 5.8% | Port |
| 7 | Tarragona | 32.1 M | −4.8% | 33.7 M | 5.7% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 27 M | −0.2% | 27 M | 4.8% | Port |
| 9 | Castellón | 21.1 M | +18.0% | 17.9 M | 3.8% | Port |
| 10 | Gijón | 19.7 M | −9.7% | 21.8 M | 3.5% | Port |
| 11 | Baleares | 16.5 M | +5.1% | 15.6 M | 2.9% | Port |
| 12 | A Coruña | 15.7 M | +3.3% | 15.2 M | 2.8% | Port |
| 13 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 13.7 M | +0.9% | 13.6 M | 2.4% | Port |
| 14 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 13.1 M | −4.6% | 13.7 M | 2.3% | Port |
| 15 | Almería | 7.06 M | +10.6% | 6.38 M | 1.3% | Port |
| 16 | Santander | 5.98 M | +6.4% | 5.62 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 17 | Avilés | 5.02 M | +4.5% | 4.81 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 18 | Sevilla | 4.44 M | −2.7% | 4.56 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 19 | Vigo | 4.36 M | +3.0% | 4.23 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 20 | Bahía de Cádiz | 3.96 M | −3.9% | 4.12 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 21 | Málaga | 3.32 M | +13.6% | 2.92 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 22 | Alicante | 3.19 M | −7.4% | 3.45 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 23 | Pasaia | 3.14 M | +5.5% | 2.97 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 24 | Motril | 2.85 M | +20.8% | 2.36 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 25 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 2.54 M | +0.7% | 2.52 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 2.45 M | −3.8% | 2.55 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 27 | Vilagarcía | 1.21 M | +0.4% | 1.21 M | 0.2% | Port |
| 28 | Melilla | 873,529 | −24.2% | 1.15 M | 0.2% | Port |
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by total traffic in 2018?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 107.4 million tonnes in 2018, 19.1% of the total.
Which three ports held the top positions in 2018?
Bahía de Algeciras (107.4 million), Valencia (76.6 million) and Barcelona (67.8 million) in 2018.
Which ports changed position compared with 2017?
In the 2018 ranking, the ports moving up on 2017 are Bilbao (from 5th to 4th), Huelva (from 7th to 6th) and Castellón (from 10th to 9th); those moving down are Cartagena (from 4th to 5th), Tarragona (from 6th to 7th) and Gijón (from 9th to 10th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · monthly data or see the original source.