EU Ports See 5.8% Increase in Passenger Traffic in 2023

In 2023, EU ports welcomed 395.3 million passengers, reflecting a 5.8% increase from the previous year, which saw 374.0 million passengers.

However, this figure remains 5.5% lower than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

The data, released by Eurostat, highlights the continued recovery of the maritime passenger transport sector. While the total number of passengers has increased compared to 2022, the figures still lag behind 2019, a benchmark year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greece and Italy Lead European Ports

In 2023, 11 EU countries exceeded 10 million passengers each, making up 97% of all seaborne passenger traffic within the EU. Italy had the highest number of passengers, reaching 85.4 million, accounting for 22% of the total EU passenger traffic. Greece followed closely, recording 75.0 million passengers (19% of the EU total), with Denmark in third place at 41.2 million passengers (10%).

Compared to 2022, 16 out of the 21 EU countries with available data experienced growth in passenger numbers. The largest increases were seen in Italy (+6.5 million), Greece (+4.8 million), and France (+3.2 million).

Top Ports in the EU

Among the busiest ports, Messina in Italy emerged as the largest EU passenger port in 2023, handling 11.3 million passengers. It was closely followed by Reggio di Calabria in Italy, with 11.1 million passengers, and Piraeus in Greece, which recorded 9.6 million passengers. Together, the top 10 busiest EU ports accounted for 22% of all seaborne passenger traffic in the EU.

While Messina, Reggio di Calabria, and Piraeus topped the list, only three out of the top 10 EU ports saw increases in passenger numbers compared to 2019: Palma de Mallorca (Spain) (+0.4 million), Reggio di Calabria (+0.2 million), and Piraeus (+0.2 million).

For further detailed statistics, please refer to Eurostat’s full dataset on maritime passenger statistics.

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