Last year a record number of passengers travelled through Estonian ports, some 10.5 million. This was mainly due to the increase in the number of passengers on route between Estonia and Finland, where 8.8 million passengers were served. 164,000 more arrived from Finland, and 160,000 more departed to Finland compared to 2015.

Between Estonia and Sweden, 1.2 million sea passengers were transported, 3 percent more than in the previous year. 498,200 cruise passengers arrived by sea, 1 percent more than in 2015. 7.7 million passengers used Estonian ships for international travel.

The number of passenger ships calling at Estonian ports reached some 6,250, 4 percent more than in 2015. At 285, around the same number of cruise ships called at Estonian ports as in 2015. On international routes, around 1.9 million vehicles (excl. transit vehicles) were served by the ports, of which 71 percent were passenger cars and 25 percent were trucks and trailers.

Around 2.3 million passengers were transported on Estonia’s main national routes, which is about as much as in 2015. On those routes, at more than 15,200 trips some 400 trips more were made compared to 2015. Some 933,700 vehicles were served by the ports on national routes.

The ports handled 33.6 million tons of cargo in 2016, which is 4 percent less than a year earlier. 8 percent less goods were loaded, and 7 percent more goods were unloaded than in 2015. Around the same number of cargo ships called at Estonian ports as in 2015. The average gross tonnage of cargo vessels totalled about 11,000 tons.

The transportation of goods declined last year due to a decrease in transit cargo. Transit goods were loaded and unloaded in ports in the amount of 18.1 million tons, which is 11 percent less than in 2015. 12.7 million tons of transit cargo were loaded, and 5.4 million tons unloaded at Estonian ports. Transit cargo volumes decreased by 18 percent, while transit cargo unloading volumes increased by 14 percent.

The most frequently handled group of transit goods at Estonian ports was refined petroleum products (7.5 million tons), although the transport of these products decreased by a third from 2015 to 2016. The loading of chemicals and chemical products as transit goods amounted to 4.9 million tons, which is 17 percent more than the year before. The most frequently handled group of transit goods unloaded at Estonian ports was also refined petroleum products at 4.5 million tons, 14 percent more than in 2015.

9.9 million tons of goods were transported abroad, and 5.6 million tons of goods arrived at Estonian ports – 9 percent and 2 percent more than in 2015, respectively. Goods transported abroad were mainly products of agriculture and forestry (3.2 million tons), a mixture of types of goods transported together (2.9 million tons), and products of mining and quarrying (1 million tons). Goods that arrived at Estonian ports included primarily a mixture of types of goods transported together (2.8 million tons) and products of mining and quarrying (1.4 million tons).

Sea container transportation through ports (expressed in TEUs) decreased by 2 percent compared to the previous year, amounting to about 204,400 TEUs in 2016. The number of containers shipped out of Estonian ports on vessels was about 100,300 TEUs, and the number received at Estonian ports 104,100 TEUs.