Port freight annual statistics 2024: Overview of port freight statistics and useful information
Published 30 July 2025
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You can use our maritime interactive dashboard to explore port freight trends.
Things you need to know
This statistical release provides information on freight handled at UK sea ports. Port freight statistics are based on a combination of data reported to the Department for Transport (DfT) by port authorities and shipping lines, or their agents.
Ports are split into major and minor ports. In 2024, there are 51 major ports, which handle at least 1 million tonnes of cargo annually or are strategically important. Most of this publication covers major port data, as more detail is collected from these ports, such as cargo category and route taken.
Cargo is categorised based on how goods are loaded onto or off the vessel.
Definitions
Unitised traffic: only container (Lo-Lo) and roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) freight services can be measured in units, which relates to how the cargo was contained. For example, a shipping container, a trailer, or a passenger car is 1 unit. Apart from passenger vehicles, all unitised traffic can also be measured in tonnage. All other categories (liquid bulk, dry bulk and other general cargo) are only measured in tonnage.
Bulk cargo: unpackaged and transported in large quantities, either in liquid or granular form, in the hold of the vessel. Examples include crude oil, coal and gravel. This is typically dropped or poured into a hold, and is unloaded via suctions, screw or grabber. See the cargo categorisation guidance for detail on the categorisation of types of cargo.
Inwards and outwards: refers to the direction of travel at UK ports, and includes both domestic (for example, traffic between Liverpool and Belfast) and international traffic (imports and exports). The port of loading or unloading is also recorded, which refers to the port where the cargo is loaded or unloaded from the ship. This may not be the port of ultimate origin or destination of the goods. For example, if a ship carrying cargo from Asia unloads cargo at a European port which is then put on another ship to the UK, our statistics will state the port of load as the European port, rather than the port in Asia. This practice of cargo changing ship is known as transshipment.
Information is also available on the ship type and the number of times ships arrived at UK ports (see PORT06 tables). This part of the publication is outside the scope of accredited official statistics.
These are accredited official statistics and were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in December 2018. For more information, see the About these statistics section.
Overview of port freight statistics
Of all international freight traded with the UK, around 85% by weight and around 55% by value were moved by sea. Sea transport is typically used for heavier, lower value goods. These figures have been calculated using HMRC Trade data. More information on comparisons between these port freight statistics and HMRC trade data can be found in the notes and definitions. These statistics will explore international and domestic freight moved through UK ports in 2024.
In 2024, all UK ports handled a total of 429.7 million tonnes, reaching the lowest levels since this time series began in 2000. Tonnage has declined 1% from 2023, following a 5% decline the previous year.
Major ports account for the majority of UK traffic, handling 421.0 million tonnes in 2024, compared to just 8.7 million tonnes handled by minor ports, as shown in Chart 1 . Minor port traffic declined by 3% in 2024, also reaching the lowest levels in this time series from 2000.
Port freight tonnage continued to decline, following shifts in energy markets and changes in trade patterns since exit from the European Union (EU). These will be explored in the cargo information and route information chapters.
Chart 1: Major and minor port traffic from 2000 to 2024 (PORT0101)
UK Major Port Traffic
Chart 2 shows that of international and domestic traffic, imports accounted for the majority of UK major port tonnage traffic (232.3 million tonnes), followed by exports (102.2 million tonnes), and finally domestic traffic (86.1 million tonnes). International traffic remained at similar levels to 2023, increasing less than 1% to 334.5 million tonnes. Domestic traffic decreased by 6% in 2024, driven by coastwise movements of oil products and other dry bulk.
Chart 2: Major port international freight by direction and domestic freight from 2000 to 2024 (PORT0205)
Chart 3 shows that London accounted for 12% of UK major port tonnage traffic handled in 2024, more than any other UK port and consistent with previous years. This was closely followed by Grimsby and Immingham, which accounted for 10% of tonnage traffic. The top 10 sea ports accounted for 70% of all traffic at UK major ports in 2024.
Chart 3: Top 10 major ports by tonnage in 2024 (PORT0301)
Chart 4 and Table 1 show trends in UK major port tonnage by cargo group. While overall tonnage declined 1% in 2024 from 2023, the trends for the latest year differ between cargo groups.
Liquid bulk, the largest cargo category, has had a general downward trend since 2000. Consistent with last year, liquid bulk had the largest absolute decline of all cargo groups in 2024, of 6.2 million tonnes. This was driven by declines in LNG and crude oil.
Dry bulk had the second largest decline of 3.5 million tonnes, down 4% from 2023. Decreases of ores and coal contributed most to the total dry bulk decline, following the closure of the UK’s last coal fired power station.
Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) tonnage increased by 1% in 2024.Unaccompanied road goods vehicles tonnage accounted for this slight increase.
Container (Lo-Lo) traffic had the largest absolute increase of any cargo group in 2024, of 2.1 million tonnes. Container traffic on All America (North and South America) routes contributed most to the overall increase, than any other region.
Other general cargo had an increase of 1.9 million tonnes, up 13% from 2023. Growth in iron and steel products accounted for almost all of this increase.
Chart 4: UK major port tonnage by cargo group from 2000 to 2024 (PORT0201)
Table 1: UK major port tonnage by cargo group in 2024 and percent changes from 2023
| Cargo Group | 2024 tonnage (million tonnes) | % change from 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid Bulk | 163.1 | - 4% |
| Ro-Ro | 99.3 | 1% |
| Dry Bulk | 80.9 | - 4% |
| Containers (Lo-Lo) | 60.7 | 4% |
| Other General Cargo | 17.0 | 13% |
Further details are reported in the cargo information report.
Background information
The tables give further detail of the key results presented in this statistical release. They are available from port and domestic waterborne freight statistics.
These notes provide further information such as definitions and a list of UK ports is available in the accompanying port list.
The background quality report provides further information on how the data is collected, quality assured and comparisons with relevant data sources.
Details of Ministers and officials who receive pre-release access to these statistics up to 24 hours before release can be found on the pre-release access list.
Related data sources
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes data on tonnage and value to a much more granular commodity level for goods traded internationally. Comparisons between port freight and this source, specifically for certain cargo categories, are explored further in our notes and definitions.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (formerly Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) publish the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) which covers the production and consumption of fuels and energy in the UK.
Information on freight moved by different modes, including a breakdown of domestic freight is available in Transport Statistics Great Britain.
Eurostat publish comparative port freight data for European Union countries, which can be used to compare UK ports to those in EU countries.
About these statistics
These official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in December 2018. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.
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