Following a review of the Statistics of Port Traffic (SPT) release for Quarter 4 and Year 2023, which was published on the 28 May 2024, processing and compilation issues were identified.
As of 28 June 2024 the data has been revised. The tables affected by these revisions include the Headline Table, Table 1A, Table 4A and Table 5A. The figures affected are Figure 1 and Figure 2. More details on these revisions are available in an Information Note. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Following a review of the Statistics of Port Traffic (SPT) release for Quarter 4 and Year 2023, which was published on the 28 May 2024, data collection issues were identified.
As of 31 March 2025, the data has been revised. The tables affected by these revisions include the Headline Table, Table 1A, Table 2A and Table 5A. The figures affected are Figure 1 and Figure 2. The text of the release was also affected. The areas of text affected are the release headline, all key findings, the statistician’s comment, the tables and figures section and the region of trade section. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Total tonnes of goods handled by Irish ports was 47.8 million tonnes in 2023, down by 10% compared with 2022.
Goods forwarded from Irish ports amounted to 15.7 million tonnes in 2023, while a total of 32.1 million tonnes of goods were received.
During 2023, 12,191 vessels arrived in Irish ports, compared with 12,517 in 2022.
Dublin port accounted for 58% of all vessel arrivals in Irish ports in 2023.
| Tonnage of goods handled by main Irish ports, Quarter 4 and Year 2022-2023 | |||||||
| '000 tonnes | |||||||
| Quarter 4 (main Irish ports) | Annual (all Irish ports) | ||||||
| Category of goods | 2022 | 2023 | % Change | 2022 | 2023 | % Change | |
| Liquid bulk | 2,980 | 2,515 | -16% | 11,436 | 10,687 | -7% | |
| Dry bulk | 3,506 | 3,062 | -13% | 15,786 | 11,921 | -24% | |
| Lift-on/lift-off | 1,996 | 2,034 | 2% | 8,457 | 7,817 | -8% | |
| Roll-on/roll-off | 3,973 | 3,895 | -2% | 16,106 | 15,952 | -1% | |
| Break bulk & other goods | 227 | 246 | 8% | 1,569 | 1,428 | -9% | |
| Total | 12,681 | 11,753 | -7% | 53,354 | 47,805 | -10% | |
The tonnage of goods handled decreased in all five categories in 2023, the largest fall was in Dry Bulk of 24%.
The headline table and tables 1A, 4A and 5A were updated on the 28 June 2024. Please see information note. Information Note - Statistics of Port Traffic Revision Quarter 4 and year 2023.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland accounted for 36% of the total tonnage of goods handled in the main ports by region of trade in 2023, while EU countries accounted for 44% of the total tonnage of goods handled in the main ports.
The majority of cruise ships arrived in Cork with 94 visiting, followed by Dun Laoghaire with 75 arrivals.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (28 May 2024) published Statistics of Port Traffic results for 2023.
Commenting on the annual figures, Damien Lenihan, Statistician in the Transport Division, said: “Irish ports handled 47.8 million tonnes of goods in 2023. This is a decrease of 10% compared with 2022. Goods forwarded from Irish ports amounted to 15.7 million tonnes in 2023, while a total of 32.1 million tonnes of goods were received.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland accounted for 36% of the total tonnage of goods handled in the main ports by region of trade in 2023, while EU countries accounted for 44% of the total tonnage of goods handled in the main ports.
Vessel Analysis
In 2023 12,191 vessels arrived in Irish ports. Dublin port accounted for 58% of all vessel arrivals in Irish ports in 2023.
Cruise ships
A total of 272 cruise ships arrived in Irish ports in 2023 compared with 240 in 2022. That was 43 less compared with pre-COVID-19 figures, when 315 cruise ships visited Ireland in 2019. Most of the cruise ships arrived in Cork (94) followed by Dun Laoghaire (75). The majority of cruise ships arrived between May and September 2023.”