Maritime transport remains a cornerstone of global trade, with around 13 billion tonnes of goods moved by sea worldwide in 2024. Within the European Union, ports handled approximately 3.4 billion tonnes, representing 26% of the global total, according to the EU Blue Economy Observatory, which also notes that nearly 90% of the bloc’s external freight trade is seaborne.

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Shipping is broadly divided into short sea and deep sea routes. Short sea shipping covers relatively shorter distances, including intra-EU movements and connections to candidate countries, Iceland, Norway, and areas like the Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas. Deep sea shipping involves longer intercontinental voyages.

Eurostat data for 2024 shows that Rotterdam in the Netherlands is the EU’s busiest port, handling 397.3 million tonnes of goods. Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium follows with 243.7 million tonnes, while Hamburg in Germany ranks third with 97 million tonnes. After these top three, volumes decline gradually, with smaller gaps between ports.

Spain’s Algeciras is fourth at 81.5 million tonnes, and Amsterdam completes the top five with 78.8 million tonnes. France’s HAROPA (Le Havre and Rouen) ranks sixth at 76.6 million tonnes, followed by Poland’s Gdansk at 71 million tonnes. Other ports in the top ten include Marseille (66 million tonnes), Valencia (64.5 million tonnes), and Constanta in Romania (57.6 million tonnes).

Among ports ranked 11th to 20th, the gross weight ranges from 36.8 million tonnes in Dunkerque, France, to 55.5 million tonnes in Barcelona, Spain. Italy’s busiest port is Trieste at 53.5 million tonnes, with Genova at 47.4 million tonnes. Sines in Portugal handles 44.1 million tonnes, Piraeus in Greece 43.7 million tonnes, Bremerhaven in Germany 42.5 million tonnes, Goteborg in Sweden 38.5 million tonnes, and Zeeland Seaports in the Netherlands also features.

At the country level, the Netherlands leads the EU with 538.1 million tonnes handled across its ports. Italy ranks second with 488.6 million tonnes, closely followed by Spain at 486 million tonnes. Belgium is fourth with 274.9 million tonnes, while Germany handles 273.9 million tonnes and France 269.8 million tonnes. Greece, Sweden, and Poland each exceed 100 million tonnes.

When including EU candidate countries and EFTA members, Turkey ranks second overall with 524.7 million tonnes, and Norway is eighth with 212.1 million tonnes.

The European Commission has highlighted maritime transport’s historical role as a catalyst for economic development and prosperity in Europe. In March 2026, it adopted two strategies aimed at boosting competitiveness, sustainability, security, and resilience across the EU’s waterborne sector, including ports, shipping, and shipbuilding.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform