First port · 2022
107.2 million tonnes
2022 total
561.7 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
564.5 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
51.4 million tonnes
The 2022 balance
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 107.2 million tonnes in 2022 (2.1% more than in 2021). It is followed by Valencia (79.4 million) and Barcelona (70.9 million). Together, the three account for 45.8% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by A Coruña (+25.6%), Ferrol-San Cibrao (+18.5%) and Cartagena (+17.2%); the steepest falls by Valencia (−6.9%), Tarragona (−5.1%) and Santander (−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 Cartagena (4th, 36.6 million, +17.2%), Bilbao (5th, 32.9 million, +5.1%), Huelva (6th, 32.1 million, +4.8%), Tarragona (7th, 29.7 million, −5.1%), Las Palmas (8th, 28.3 million, +0.3%), Castellón (9th, 20.9 million, −1.4%) and Gijón (10th, 19.1 million, +14.6%).
At the bottom of the table are Ceuta (1.94 million), Vilagarcía (1.5 million) and Melilla (577,251 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 58.2% of the total and 10 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 18.6%. 14 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2021, 9 of them by double digits, and 14 fell.
Spanish ports handled 561.7 million tonnes of total traffic in 2022, 3.2% more than in 2021 (17.3 million more). These are the final figures from Puertos del Estado’s statistical yearbook for the 28 port authorities.
In the 2022 ranking, the ports moving up on 2021 are Cartagena (from 6th to 4th) and Huelva (from 7th to 6th); those moving down are Bilbao (from 4th to 5th) and Tarragona (from 5th to 7th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2022
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 · 2022
| # | Port authorities | 2022 | Change on 2021 | 2021 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 107.2 M | +2.1% | 105.1 M | 19.1% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 79.4 M | −6.9% | 85.3 M | 14.1% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 70.9 M | +6.8% | 66.4 M | 12.6% | Port |
| 4 | Cartagena | 36.6 M | +17.2% | 31.2 M | 6.5% | Port |
| 5 | Bilbao | 32.9 M | +5.1% | 31.3 M | 5.9% | Port |
| 6 | Huelva | 32.1 M | +4.8% | 30.7 M | 5.7% | Port |
| 7 | Tarragona | 29.7 M | −5.1% | 31.3 M | 5.3% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 28.3 M | +0.3% | 28.2 M | 5.0% | Port |
| 9 | Castellón | 20.9 M | −1.4% | 21.2 M | 3.7% | Port |
| 10 | Gijón | 19.1 M | +14.6% | 16.7 M | 3.4% | Port |
| 11 | Baleares | 15.5 M | +12.7% | 13.8 M | 2.8% | Port |
| 12 | A Coruña | 14.9 M | +25.6% | 11.9 M | 2.7% | Port |
| 13 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 12.3 M | +10.3% | 11.1 M | 2.2% | Port |
| 14 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 11.8 M | +18.5% | 9.96 M | 2.1% | Port |
| 15 | Santander | 6.46 M | −4.6% | 6.77 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 16 | Bahía de Cádiz | 5.72 M | +15.7% | 4.94 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 17 | Almería | 5.58 M | −4.2% | 5.83 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 4.72 M | −2.0% | 4.81 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 19 | Avilés | 4.51 M | −4.1% | 4.71 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 20 | Málaga | 4.41 M | −1.7% | 4.49 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 3.82 M | −9.2% | 4.2 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 22 | Pasaia | 3.31 M | −6.3% | 3.54 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 23 | Alicante | 3.24 M | +22.3% | 2.65 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 24 | Motril | 2.15 M | −15.1% | 2.53 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 25 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 2.12 M | −2.8% | 2.18 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 1.94 M | +23.3% | 1.57 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 27 | Vilagarcía | 1.5 M | −0.9% | 1.51 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 28 | Melilla | 577,251 | −4.0% | 601,613 | 0.1% | Port |
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by total traffic in 2022?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 107.2 million tonnes in 2022, 19.1% of the total.
Which three ports held the top positions in 2022?
Bahía de Algeciras (107.2 million), Valencia (79.4 million) and Barcelona (70.9 million) in 2022.
Which ports changed position compared with 2021?
In the 2022 ranking, the ports moving up on 2021 are Cartagena (from 6th to 4th) and Huelva (from 7th to 6th); those moving down are Bilbao (from 4th to 5th) and Tarragona (from 5th to 7th). 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.