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Number of passengers in foreign sea transport remained in 2021 one third of the level before the pandemic

release | Foreign shipping traffic 2021

The coronavirus pandemic still had a strong impact on the number of passengers in foreign sea transport, which in 2021 reached only 32 per cent of the 2019 level before the pandemic. A total of 94.1 million tonnes of goods were transported in foreign sea transport; the volume decreased by two per cent from the previous year. These figures are final data for Statistics Finland's statistics on foreign shipping traffic.

Key selections

  • Altogether 6.2 million passengers passed through Finnish harbours in foreign sea transport.
  • The number of passengers decreased by seven per cent from 2020. The number was only 32 per cent of the level of 2019 before the pandemic.
  • During 2021, the goods volume of foreign sea transport totalled 94.1 million tonnes. Transport declined by two per cent compared to 2020.
  • A total of 2.5 million transport equipment were transported, 51 per cent of which were passengers’ cars.

Goods transport remained almost unchanged

The goods volume of foreign sea transport was in total 94.1 million tonnes. Of this, transit transport made up nine per cent, or 8.2 million tonnes. General cargo was transported most, 17.3 million tonnes, followed by 10.8 million tonnes of oil products. The types of goods imported most, general cargo and crude oil, accounted for 39 per cent of all goods imported by sea. Most exports were of general cargo, paper and oil products that formed 44 per cent of all goods exports in sea transport. The busiest ports for goods transport were Sköldvik, Helsinki, HaminaKotka, Kokkola and Hanko.

Transports from Sköldvik consisted almost entirely of oil-related products and chemicals, while transports from Helsinki and Naantali consisted mostly of general cargo. Most of the transports through Kokkola, Raahe and Tornio were manufactured in mining and metal industries, while transports from HaminaKotka and Rauma consisted mostly of forest industry products.

Nearly one-third of the volume of goods was transported in containers and transport equipment

A total of 11.4 million tonnes of goods were transported in containers through Finnish ports in 2021. The figure was four per cent lower than in 2020. The number of containers transported was 0.8 million (1.4 million TEU containers). Measured in tonnes, exports of goods transported in containers went down by five per cent and imports by one per cent compared to 2020.

A total of 17.4 million tonnes of goods were transported by goods transport equipment and 1.21 million transport equipment were transported in total. Of goods transport equipment, lorries and lorry trailers were transported most, in all 1.17 million. A total of 35,200 other transport equipment were transported. The volume of goods transported by transport equipment and containers totalled 28.8 million tonnes, which is 31 per cent of all goods transported in sea transport.

Transport performance grew slightly from 2020

During 2021, the transport performance of foreign sea transport totalled 222.1 billion tonne-kilometres. The transport performance of exports amounted to 152.7 billion tonne-kilometres and that of imports to 69.4 billion tonne-kilometres. In all, 71 per cent of goods imported by foreign sea transport came from countries in the Baltic Sea area and only six per cent from other than European ports. Altogether 50 per cent of export goods were exported to the Baltic Sea area countries and 18 per cent were exported outside European ports. Differences in import and export countries are reflected directly in the transport performance. The transport performance grew by five per cent compared with 2020.

Transit transport was still strongly export-centred

Transit transport through Finnish ports totalled 8.2 million tonnes. Most of this was transit exports, 7.6 million tonnes. Transit imports amounted to 0.6 million tonnes. The majority of transit exports consists of ores and concentrates, as well as fertilisers, chemicals and coal and coke. These groups of goods form 96 per cent of transit shipments. Two-thirds of transit imports consist of general cargo. The volume of transit traffic decreased by two per cent compared with 2020. Transit exports decreased by three per cent and transit imports increased by 12 per cent.

Pandemic still had a strong impact on the number of passengers in foreign sea transport

A total of 6.2 million persons were transported in passenger traffic in 2021. In all, 3.2 million persons travelled between Finland and Estonia and 2.9 million between Finland and Sweden. Of the passengers in sea transport, 98 per cent travelled on routes to Estonia and Sweden. A total of 0.1 million passengers were transported between Finland and Germany. No passengers at all were transported between Finland and Russia, while in 2020 there were still some passengers. The number of passengers fell by seven per cent compared to 2020. However, passengers made up only 32 per cent of the level in 2019 prior to the pandemic. In all, 21,432 passengers of foreign cruise ships arrived in Finland in 2021, while none at all arrived in 2020. In 2021, a total of 1.3 million passenger cars and 9,160 buses and coaches were transported. Transports of passengers’ cars increased by one per cent from 2020, but was only 60 per cent compared to 2019. Transports of coaches and buses went up by 11 per cent but the number was still only 23 per cent of the pre-pandemic level.

Transport volumes in the Saimaa Canal remained almost unchanged

A total of 1.2 tonnes of goods were transported through the Saimaa Canal in foreign transport. Timber was transported most in vessels in foreign transport, in total 0.5 million tonnes. The second most transported were crude minerals and cement, 0.3 million tonnes. The volume of transport through the Saimaa Canal increased by three per cent from 2020.

Tables

See key statistical data in the tables.

Foreign sea transport by commodity group 2016–2021

Volume of goods transported in transit traffic by type of goods 2016-2021

Database tables

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Updated database tables
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Olli Kajava
Senior Statistician
029 551 3531
Head of Department in charge