Sea transport

Increase in the volume of goods in Belgian ports in 2024

Mobility
Increase in the volume of goods in Belgian ports in 2024

After a fall in 2023, the volume of goods loaded and unloaded increased in 2024. Over a 10-year period, the basic trend is upward. This is what emerged from the official figures published by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.

The total quantity of goods unloaded in Belgian sea ports amounted to just under 147 million tonnes. This is an increase of 0.3% compared to 2023 and of 16.7% compared to the year 2014.

The quantity of the goods loaded increased by 1.2% compared to 2023. Compared to 2014, this is an increase of 14.9%.

In 2024, the number of ships arriving in and departing from Belgian ports has continued to decrease, following a trend that began more than ten years ago. This decrease can be explained in part by the increase in the size of ships, which allows a greater quantity of goods to be transported per voyage.

The total number of sea-going ships arriving in Belgian sea ports amounted to 22,126. This is a decrease of 0.8% compared to 2023 and of 9.8% compared to the year 2014.

The total number of sea-going ships that departed is 22,152, or a decrease of 0.7% compared to 2023 and of 13.1% compared to 2014.

Quarter
Content

Sea transport (2021-2024)

Sea transport (2021-2024) 2021-T3 2021-T4 2022-T1 2022-T2 2022-T3 2022-T4 2023-T1 2023-T2 2023-T3 2023-T4 2024-T1 2024-T2 2024-T3 2024-T4
Arriving ships (a) 6,076 6,189 5,659 5,905 5,849 5,666 5,475 5,821 5,641 5,366 5,346 5,556 5,567 5,657
Departing ships (a) 6,095 6,155 5,677 5,923 5,851 5,691 5,475 5,840 5,663 5,338 5,381 5,539 5,586 5,646
Cargo loaded (x 1,000 t) 33,077 34,336 33,268 33,688 31,645 32,789 31,621 31,992 30,925 32,052 33,158 33,447 31,023 30,490
Cargo unloaded (x 1,000 t) 37,178 38,799 39,723 42,442 37,988 36,687 38,456 38,319 34,683 34,939 37,195 38,772 35,241 35,569
Disembarked passengers (x 1,000)(b) 1,631 487 331 468 579 625 817 908 940 970 725 635 623 660
Embarked passengers (x 1,000)(b) 1,815 655 411 414 557 602 737 805 903 800 733 773 691 754
(a) Including extra-Community transit.
(b) Excluding cruise passengers
Source: Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics - Statistics Belgium)
Table
Content

Sea transport (1997-2024)

Sea transport (1997-2024) 1997 2007 2010 2015 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Arriving ships (a) 32,248 34,043 28,812 24,806 23,679 24,609 23,079 22,303 22,126
Departing ships (a) 30,291 35,080 29,640 25,770 24,006 24,552 23,142 22,316 22,152
Cargo loaded (x 1,000 t) 61,856 102,365 100,794 112,468 126,387 136,321 131,389 126,590 128,118
Cargo unloaded (x 1,000 t) 100,208 134,327 125,561 128,715 142,288 152,506 156,840 146,397 146,776
Disembarked passengers (x 1,000)(b) 925 378 300 177 19 3 2 4 3
Embarked passengers (x 1,000)(b) 1,021 381 310 176 21 3 2 3 3
(a) Including extra-Community transit.
(b) Excluding cruise passengers
Source: Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics - Statistics Belgium)
Chart
Content
Downloads

Purpose and brief description

De zeevaartstatistieken geven een beeld van de evolutie van het aantal zeeschepen, de tonnenmaat en het scheepstype, het aantal en gewicht van de goederen, het vrachttype, het continent van lading of lossing, het aantal passagiers…

Frequency

Quarterly

Timing publication

Results available 5 months after the reference period

Metadata