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Statistics Explained

Data extracted in January 2025.

Planned update: January 2026.

Maritime vessels statistics

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Data extracted in January 2025.

Planned update: January 2026.

Highlights

In 2023, 2.2 million vessels entered the main EU ports.

Greece recorded the largest number of vessel port calls in 2023.

The average size of vessels calling at main EU ports is estimated at 8 058 gross tonnage per vessel.

[[File:Average size of vessels calling at main ports_EU_2008-2023.xlsx]]

Average size of vessels calling at main ports, EU, 2008-2023

  • Note: main ports are ports handling more than one million tonnes of goods or 200 000 passengers annually. Data are based on inward declarations. Break in time series from 2015 due to methodological improvement in the data reported by the Netherlands.
  • Source: Eurostat (online data code: mar_mt_am_csvi)

This article presents the latest statistical data on vessels traffic in main ports in the European Union (EU), the EFTA country Norway and the candidate countries Montenegro and Türkiye. This article contains data for 2023.

In 2023, 2.2 million vessels entered the main EU ports

In 2023, the number of vessels calling (handling freight or embarking and disembarking passengers) in main EU ports was estimated at 2.2 million, an increase of 1.5% from the previous year. Greece had the largest number of port calls in 2023 (477 115 vessels), followed by Italy (449 131 vessels), Denmark (322 230 vessels), Croatia (282 404 vessels), Spain (177 667 vessels) and Germany (115 531 vessels) (Table 1).

A table showing the vessels in main ports, in selected years, 2013-2023, in the EU, some EFTA countries and some candidate countries.
Table 2: Vessels in main ports, in selected years, 2013-2023
(number)
Source: Eurostat (mar_mt_am_csvi)

Eight countries recorded an increase in 2023 compared with 2022: Cyprus (+7.5%), Greece (+6.4%), Italy (+5.6%), Malta (+5.5%), Croatia (+3.5%), Denmark (+2.7%), Portugal (+1.5%) and Poland (+0.4%). Among the remaining EU countries, Bulgaria and Latvia registered the largest decrease (both -12.5%), followed by Spain (-11.1%). Germany recorded the least decline by 0.7% compared with 2022.

Compared with 2013, 12 EU countries registered increases. The largest increases were recorded in Malta (+100.8%), followed by Croatia (+40.3%) and Spain (+31.0%). By contrast, the largest decreases were recorded by Finland (-26.6%), Latvia (-24.3%) and Bulgaria (-21.2%). The candidate country Türkiye also decreased by 8.8%.

The average size of vessels calling at main EU ports is estimated at 8 058 gross tonnage per vessel

In 2023, the estimated gross tonnage (GT) of the vessels calling in EU ports increased to 17.5 billion GT (+6.7% from the previous year). Italy recorded the largest gross tonnage of vessels calling at its main ports in 2023 with 3.7 billion GT, followed by Spain (2.7 billion GT) (Table 2).

Thirteen countries recorded an increase in 2023 compared with 2022. Italy registered the largest increase (+32.6%), followed by Greece (+14.1%), Romania (+11.5%), Portugal and Cyprus (10.8%). Among the remaining EU countries, Latvia recorded the largest decrease (-13.9%), followed by Finland (-3.9%), France (-2.8%), Ireland (-2.7%), Sweden (-2.2%) and Denmark (-1.1%), whereas Malta, Lithuania and Spain recorded a decrease of less than 1%.

Compared with 2013, all countries registered increases except Latvia and Finland (-24.8% and -9.6%, respectively). The largest increase was recorded by Poland (+71.0%), followed by Croatia (+59.1%) and Spain (+53.2%). Twelve EU countries registered increases between 20% and 50%. The EFTA country Norway and also the candidate country Türkiye registered substantial increases, (+37.2% and +30.9%, respectively).

A table showing the gross tonnage of vessels in main ports, in selected years, 2013-2023, in the EU, some EFTA countries, and some candidate countries.
Table 2: Gross tonnage of vessels in main ports, in selected years, 2013-2023
(thousand)
Source: Eurostat (mar_mt_am_csvi)

In 2023, the average size of vessels calling at the main EU ports increased by 5.2%, to slightly more than 8 000 GT, compared with the previous year (Figure 1).

A vertical bar chart showing the average size of vessels calling at the main ports in the EU from 2008-2023.
Figure 1: Average size of vessels calling at main ports, EU, 2008-2023
(gross tonnage per vessel)
Source: Eurostat (mar_mt_am_csvi)

In 2023, Belgium remained the EU country which registered the largest average size of vessels at the main ports, followed by Slovenia and France. The candidate country Montenegro also recorded a high than average size of vessel, compared with that of the top 3 EU countries (Figure 2).

Compared with 2022, the largest increase was registered by Italy (+25.6%), whereas the largest decrease was recorded by Malta (-6.1%). Among the EU countries, 19 saw increases compared with 2022, while 20 EU countries decreased compared with 2013.

A vertical bar chart showing the average size of vessels calling at the main ports in the EU, some EFTA countries and candidate countries.
Figure 2: Average size of vessels calling at main ports, 2013, 2022 and 2023
(gross tonnage per vessel)
Source: Eurostat (mar_mt_am_csvi)

Vessels in the category 'Cargo, non-specialised' (which includes Ro-Ro vessels) made the highest share of calls to the main EU ports in 2023 (75.1% of the vessels and 59.4% of the gross tonnage). When based on the number of vessels, the next category was passenger vessels (14.2%), which excluded cruise passengers, followed by liquid bulk vessels (3.8%) and container vessels (3.2%) (Figure 3). When looking at the shares based on gross tonnage, container vessels came second, with 15.8%, followed by cruise passenger vessels (8.6%), liquid bulk vessels (8.1%) and dry bulk vessels (3.5%). Passenger vessels represented only 1.5% based on gross tonnage, indicating their lower size compared with the other types of vessels.

Two pie charts showing the vessels in main ports by type of vessel in the EU in 2023, the first pie chart is %-based on number of vessels, and the second pie chart is %-based on gross tonnage.
Figure 3: Vessels in main ports by type of vessel, EU, 2023
Source: Eurostat (mar_mt_am_csvi)

Messina remained the largest EU port in terms of number of vessels

The top 20 ports accounted for 30.1% of the total number of vessels in the reporting countries in 2023. The port of Messina remained the largest EU port in 2023, with almost 66 000 vessels (Figure 4). Sixteen ports out of the top 20 increased, compared with 2022. Among the top 20 ports in 2023, Algeciras recorded the largest increase in 2023 compared with the previous year (+21.9%), followed by Napoli (+16.0%), Reggio Di Calabria (+15.9%) and Piraeus (+15.4%). By contrast, Sibenik (-3.2%), Helsingborg (-2.6%), Rotterdam (-2.5%) and Helsingor (Elsinore) (-0.2%) recorded falls in 2023 compared with 2022, dropping three, one, one and two positions in the ranking, respectively. Compared with 2022, only one port entered the top 20: Procida replaced Mġarr-Gozo.

a horizontal bar chart with three bars showing the Top 20 EU maritime ports in terms of number vessels for 2013, 2022 and 2023.
Figure 4: Top 20 EU maritime ports in terms of number vessels, 2013, 2022 and 2023
(thousand)
Source: Eurostat (mar_mt_am_csvi)

Source data for tables and graphs

Data sources

This article presents the trends in vessel traffic in the main European Union (EU) ports and also includes figures for Norway, Montenegro and Türkiye. The content is based on data collected within the legal framework for EU maritime transport statistics, i.e. Directive 2009/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea and later amendments. Directive 2009/42/EC is a recast of the original Council Directive 95/64/EC of 8 December 1995.

The EU aggregates in the statistics refer to the total of 22 maritime Member States. Czechia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia have no maritime ports. Norway provides Eurostat with data as members of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA country Liechtenstein has no maritime ports. Data for Iceland are not available as the country does not have detailed reporting of data sets and does not report data on vessels. Montenegro and Türkiye provide data as candidate countries.

'Main ports' are ports handling more than one million tonnes of goods or more than 200 000 passengers annually (however, data for some smaller ports may be included in the published results). Data are presented at level of 'statistical ports'. A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, able to record ship and cargo movements.

Explanatory notes:

Please note that data can be subject to revision and latest data are available in Eurostat's online database.

Basic results and derived indicators (such as growth rates and shares in % of total) in the tables are rounded. However, the figures are based on the non-rounded original data. As a result, the sum of shares in % of total, as shown in the tables, is not necessarily equal to 100%.

Explanatory notes for countries are available in the metadata on the Eurostat website.

Starting from 2011, the figures for Spain include data for a number of minor regional ports outside the state-controlled port system. There is a break in time series from 2015 due to methodological improvement in the data reported by the Netherlands. Montenegro started to report data on vessel traffic in 2018. Detailed data on main ports are not available for Iceland, as the country has not provided detailed reporting.

Type of vessel (Figure 3):

  • Liquid bulk: oil tanker, chemical tanker, LG tanker, tanker barge, other tanker.
  • Dry bulk: bulk/oil carrier, bulk carrier.
  • Container: full container.
  • Cargo, specialised: barge carrier, chemical carrier, irradiated fuel, livestock carrier, vehicle carrier, other specialised.
  • Cargo, non-specialised: reefer, Ro-Ro passenger, Ro-Ro container, other Ro-Ro cargo, combination carrier general cargo/passenger, combination carrier general cargo/container, single-decker, multi-decker.
  • Passenger: passenger (excluding cruise passenger vessels).
  • Unknown type of vessel.

Special symbols used in the tables

':' not available

Context

The content of this statistical article is based on data collected within the framework of the EU maritime transport statistics Directive, i.e. Directive 2009/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea (OJ L141 of 6.6.2009, page 29), which is a recast of the original Council Directive 95/64 (EC) of 8 December 1995.

The basic legal act (Directive 2009/42/EC) was amended by:

The following legal acts include respectively the last official version of the list of ports and some dissemination aspects:

Explore further

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Maritime transport (mar)
Maritime transport - main annual results (mar_m)
Maritime transport - short sea shipping - main annual results (mar_s)
Maritime transport - passengers (mar_pa)
Maritime transport - goods (mar_go)
Maritime transport - vessel traffic (mar_tf)
Maritime transport - regional statistics (mar_rg)

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