First port · 2023
104.8 million tonnes
2023 total
543.6 million tonnes
Series high, 2012–2025
564.5 million tonnes
Month with the highest figure
47.5 million tonnes
The 2023 balance
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 104.8 million tonnes in 2023 (2.3% less than in 2022). It is followed by Valencia (77.2 million) and Barcelona (64 million). Together, the three account for 45.3% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (+10.3%), Tarragona (+10.1%) and Santander (+9.1%); the steepest falls by Ferrol-San Cibrao (−28.4%), Castellón (−24.8%) and Barcelona (−9.7%). 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 Cartagena (4th, 37.8 million, +3.2%), Bilbao (5th, 32.9 million, +0.1%), Tarragona (6th, 32.7 million, +10.1%), Huelva (7th, 30.1 million, −6.4%), Las Palmas (8th, 27.9 million, −1.5%), Gijón (9th, 19 million, −0.6%) and Baleares (10th, 16.2 million, +4.5%).
At the bottom of the table are Ceuta (1.86 million), Vilagarcía (1.55 million) and Melilla (536,663 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 58.3% 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 2022, 3 of them by double digits, and 14 fell.
Spanish ports handled 543.6 million tonnes of total traffic in 2023, 3.2% less than in 2022 (18.1 million less). These are the final figures from Puertos del Estado’s statistical yearbook for the 28 port authorities.
In the 2023 ranking, the ports moving up on 2022 are Tarragona (from 7th to 6th), Gijón (from 10th to 9th) and Baleares (from 11th to 10th); those moving down are Huelva (from 6th to 7th). The top three positions are unchanged.
Top 10 · Ranking of port authorities · 2023
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 · 2023
| # | Port authorities | 2023 | Change on 2022 | 2022 | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 104.8 M | −2.3% | 107.2 M | 19.3% | Port |
| 2 | Valencia | 77.2 M | −2.8% | 79.4 M | 14.2% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 64 M | −9.7% | 70.9 M | 11.8% | Port |
| 4 | Cartagena | 37.8 M | +3.2% | 36.6 M | 6.9% | Port |
| 5 | Bilbao | 32.9 M | +0.1% | 32.9 M | 6.1% | Port |
| 6 | Tarragona | 32.7 M | +10.1% | 29.7 M | 6.0% | Port |
| 7 | Huelva | 30.1 M | −6.4% | 32.1 M | 5.5% | Port |
| 8 | Las Palmas | 27.9 M | −1.5% | 28.3 M | 5.1% | Port |
| 9 | Gijón | 19 M | −0.6% | 19.1 M | 3.5% | Port |
| 10 | Baleares | 16.2 M | +4.5% | 15.5 M | 3.0% | Port |
| 11 | Castellón | 15.7 M | −24.8% | 20.9 M | 2.9% | Port |
| 12 | A Coruña | 14 M | −6.3% | 14.9 M | 2.6% | Port |
| 13 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 13.5 M | +10.3% | 12.3 M | 2.5% | Port |
| 14 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 8.45 M | −28.4% | 11.8 M | 1.6% | Port |
| 15 | Santander | 7.04 M | +9.1% | 6.46 M | 1.3% | Port |
| 16 | Bahía de Cádiz | 5.75 M | +0.5% | 5.72 M | 1.1% | Port |
| 17 | Almería | 5.29 M | −5.3% | 5.58 M | 1.0% | Port |
| 18 | Vigo | 4.82 M | +2.3% | 4.72 M | 0.9% | Port |
| 19 | Avilés | 4.58 M | +1.5% | 4.51 M | 0.8% | Port |
| 20 | Sevilla | 3.95 M | +3.5% | 3.82 M | 0.7% | Port |
| 21 | Pasaia | 3.49 M | +5.5% | 3.31 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 22 | Alicante | 3.21 M | −0.7% | 3.24 M | 0.6% | Port |
| 23 | Málaga | 2.56 M | −42.0% | 4.41 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 24 | Motril | 2.55 M | +18.8% | 2.15 M | 0.5% | Port |
| 25 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 2.12 M | +0.1% | 2.12 M | 0.4% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 1.86 M | −4.0% | 1.94 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 27 | Vilagarcía | 1.55 M | +3.6% | 1.5 M | 0.3% | Port |
| 28 | Melilla | 536,663 | −7.0% | 577,251 | 0.1% | Port |
Frequently asked questions
Which was Spain’s first port by total traffic in 2023?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 104.8 million tonnes in 2023, 19.3% of the total.
Which three ports held the top positions in 2023?
Bahía de Algeciras (104.8 million), Valencia (77.2 million) and Barcelona (64 million) in 2023.
Which ports changed position compared with 2022?
In the 2023 ranking, the ports moving up on 2022 are Tarragona (from 7th to 6th), Gijón (from 10th to 9th) and Baleares (from 11th to 10th); those moving down are Huelva (from 6th 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.