In 2024, cargo transportation on inland waterways in the European Union experienced a notable growth of 4.5% compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 90 billion tonne-kilometers. This increase marks a turning point, being the first rise after two consecutive years of declines. A recovery was also noted in container transport, which grew by 3.7% over the same measure.
The data, published by Eurostat, reveal that metallic minerals were the most transported, accounting for 23.2% of the total. Additionally, coke and petroleum products represented 16.3%, and chemicals, plastics, and nuclear fuels made up 14.0%. In this trend, the transport of secondary raw materials and waste saw the largest relative increase, with a growth of 12.9%, while chemicals and nuclear fuels rose by 12.4%. However, coal and crude oil transportation experienced a significant decline of 26.5%.
The concentration of transport by waterways is notable, with Germany and the Netherlands together accounting for 70.5% of the total. Germany led the absolute growth with an additional 1.9 billion tonne-kilometers, recording an increase of 4.7% compared to the previous year.
These results indicate a recovery in the transport sector, which has faced significant challenges in recent years, suggesting a favorable direction toward strengthening inland transportation routes in Europe.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
