Having closed 2025 with a throughput of 80.4 million tonnes, the Port of Gdańsk has consolidated its standing among Europe’s largest ports. It climbed to 8th place on the continent and 6th within the European Union, surpassing ports in Valencia, Amsterdam, and Constanța, which recorded slower growth. This marks a jump of three positions – the largest upward movement among all ports included in the ranking.

Among the EU’s top ports, Gdańsk now ranks 6th, following Rotterdam, Antwerp–Bruges, Hamburg, Algeciras, and HAROPA. The port’s rise reflects growth across key cargo segments, led by liquid fuels (39.6 million tonnes, +0.4%) and general cargo, which reached 27.2 million tonnes (+16.6%). Container throughput showed particularly strong growth, rising 23% to nearly 2.8 million TEU.

“As Poland’s largest seaport, we build our security and sustainable development on a solid foundation. The 2025 result is very encouraging, especially given the uneven development of the European port market. While some ports are seeing declining volumes, ports with stable infrastructure and high operational flexibility can leverage potential and build resilience even in challenging times. For this reason, the Management Board of the Port of Gdańsk will continue with investment plans, pragmatically reinvesting earnings into port and access infrastructure,” explained Dorota Pyć, CEO of the Port Authority of Gdańsk.

Despite a decrease compared with 2024, Rotterdam remains Europe’s leading port, handling 428.4 million tonnes in 2025. Second place goes to Antwerp–Bruges (266.35 million tonnes, down 4.03%). The top five also include two Russian ports – Novorossiysk (168 million tonnes, +1.94%) and Ust-Luga (130.5 million tonnes, -3.33%) – alongside Hamburg, which closed the year with 114.61 million tonnes, marking a growth of over 2%.

This year’s ranking highlights the varied dynamics across European ports. Some, including Gdańsk, Hamburg, and several French ports, increased throughput despite challenging market conditions. Others, such as Antwerp–Bruges, Ust-Luga, and Algeciras, recorded declines. The largest drop was observed at Romania’s Constanța, which fell from 10th to 13th place.