Sea transport

9.5% decrease in goods unloaded in Belgian ports

Mobility
9.5% decrease in goods unloaded in Belgian ports

In the third quarter of 2023, the total quantity of goods unloaded in Belgian sea ports amounted to just under 35 million tonnes. This is a decrease of 9.5% compared to the previous quarter and a decrease of 8.7% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

The quantity of loaded goods fell by 3.3% compared to the second quarter of 2023 and by 2.3% on an annual basis to almost 31 million tonnes.

In the third quarter of 2023, the total number of sea-going ships arriving in Belgian sea ports amounted to 5,641. This is a decrease of 3.1% compared to the previous quarter and of 3.6% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

The total number of sea-going ships that departed is 5,663, i.e. a 3.0% decrease compared to the second quarter of 2023 and a 3.2% decrease compared to the same quarter of 2022.

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Sea transport (2021-2023)

Sea transport (2021-2023) 2021-T2 2021-T3 2021-T4 2022-T1 2022-T2 2022-T3 2022-T4 2023-T1 2023-T2 2023-T3
Arriving ships (a) 6,313 6,076 6,189 5,659 5,905 5,849 5,666 5,475 5,821 5,641
Departing ships (a) 6,303 6,095 6,155 5,677 5,923 5,851 5,691 5,475 5,840 5,663
Cargo loaded (x 1,000 t) 34,816 33,077 34,336 33,268 33,688 31,645 32,789 31,621 31,992 30,925
Cargo unloaded (x 1,000 t) 39,771 37,178 38,799 39,723 42,442 37,988 36,687 38,456 38,319 34,683
Disembarked passengers (x 1,000)(b) 265 1,631 487 331 468 579 625 817 908 940
Embarked passengers (x 1,000)(b) 306 1,815 655 411 414 557 602 737 805 903
(a) Including extra-Community transit.
(b) Excluding cruise passengers
Source: Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics - Statistics Belgium)
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Sea transport (1997-2022)

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

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