Maritime transport remained the dominant mode of freight movement within the European Union in 2023, with Greece standing out as one of the leading countries relying on sea freight, according to newly released Eurostat data.
Approximately 67.4% of all goods transported within EU borders last year travelled by sea, when measured in tonne-kilometres—a metric that considers both the weight of goods and the distance they are transported. Road transport followed with 25.3%, while rail accounted for 5.5%. Inland waterways and air freight made up 1.6% and 0.2%, respectively.
Greece featured prominently among the EU countries most reliant on maritime transport. Alongside Portugal and Cyprus, Greece reported one of the highest proportions of freight moved by sea, with a remarkable 96.4% of all goods transported via maritime routes.
In total, 15 out of the 22 EU coastal member states cited sea transport as their primary freight method. In 10 of those countries—including Greece—more than 70% of freight moved by sea.
In contrast, landlocked or inland-focused nations leaned more heavily on road transport. Luxembourg (84.5%), Czechia (77.7%), and Hungary (70.7%) led in road freight reliance. Rail transport was strongest in Lithuania (31.7%), Slovakia (30.1%), Austria (29.1%), and Slovenia (27.1%).
Romania emerged as the EU leader in inland waterway freight, with 18.9% of goods transported along rivers and canals, followed by the Netherlands (11.7%) and Bulgaria (8.7%).
Despite its speed, air freight remained a niche mode of transport. Only seven EU countries reported that air accounted for at least 1% of freight transport. Romania (1.6%), Luxembourg (1.5%), Hungary, and Lithuania (1.3% each) registered the highest shares.
Over the past decade, the share of goods moved by road increased slightly, up by 2.8 percentage points since 2013. This growth came at the expense of sea, rail, and inland waterway transport, all of which saw small declines in their respective shares.
The figures are part of Eurostat’s latest update on the modal split of freight transport within the EU, offering insight into shifting logistics trends across the continent.
Read more: Eurostat Reports
(Source: Eurostat)