Swedish ports record lowest ship calls in 18 years. Implications for the maritime sector

The total volume of cargo handled also declined, totaling 151.6 million tonnes, a 2.41% drop from the previous year. Container traffic was the most affected segment, with the number of calls down by approximately 13%.

Fleet structure: larger vessels replacing smaller units

Data indicates a significant shift in the fleet composition serviced in Swedish ports. Operators are increasingly deploying larger vessels, while smaller and medium-sized units are declining. In the cargo segment, the number of calls fell by around 5% year-on-year. This trend reflects fleet modernization and a focus on improving transport efficiency.

- Last year was marked by recession, reflected in the numbers. Sweden’s primary industry relies heavily on shipping, and nine out of ten imported or exported goods travel by sea within the full logistics chain, commented Niclas Härenstam, Communications Director at Sjöfartsverket.

Cargo ports: leaders and declines

Among cargo ports, the top performers in 2025 were:

1. Gothenburg – 37.6 million tonnes (-2.2%)
2. Brofjorden – 14.7 million tonnes (-17.18%)
3. Trelleborg – 11.8 million tonnes (+1.43%)

The southern port of Ystad recorded the most remarkable year-on-year growth in cargo volumes, reaching +12.93%, the highest among Sweden’s 20 largest ports.

Ports experiencing significant declines include:

• Gävle (-6.03%)
• Norrköping (-6.39%)

Passenger traffic: stability and southern port roles

The total number of passengers handled in Swedish ports remained stable at approximately 20.5 million, a minor decrease of 0.18%. Ferry traffic recorded a marginal decline in calls of 1.9%, while cruise ship calls increased by 6.7%, though cruise passenger numbers fell by roughly 2% to 882,000.

The busiest passenger ports in 2025 were:

1. Helsingborg – 5.12 million passengers (+1.3%)
2. Stockholm – 5.09 million passengers (+4.27%)
3. Ystad – 2.24 million passengers (+1.97%)

Ystad continues to strengthen its role as a “passenger gateway” to Poland and Bornholm, maintaining a trend established since the 1960s. Trelleborg, meanwhile, increasingly focuses on freight efficiency amid declining passenger traffic.

Poland: driving southern corridor growth

Contrary to general downward trends, ferry corridors to Poland recorded cargo volume growth. Strategic partnerships and infrastructure development, such as the Ystad–Świnoujście rail link and Poland’s E65/S3 road upgrades, play a crucial role.

In Trelleborg, despite nearly a 12% drop in ship calls, cargo volumes increased, reflecting fleet modernization by ferry operators—larger, more efficient vessels replaced older logistics models. The truck and trailer transport market between southern Sweden and Świnoujście grew by 3.6%, with Ystad and Malmö ports capturing the largest share of this increase.

Sector outlook and key trends

2025 in the Swedish maritime sector can be summarized as a year of adaptation and restructuring:

• Ship calls fell to the lowest level in 18 years.
• Fleet composition shifted toward larger, more efficient vessels.
• Southern ports, particularly Ystad, strengthened their role in Polish corridors.
• Passenger traffic remained broadly stable, with minor overall declines and growth in cruise operations.

For port operators and logistics providers, this underscores the need for continued infrastructure optimization, fleet modernization, and flexible responses to changing demand in container and bulk transport. Strengthening cross-border collaboration, especially with Poland, remains vital to maintaining the competitiveness of Swedish ports in the European maritime market.