Sea transport: 2023

• In 2023, total freight tonnage at all Welsh ports (major and minor combined) was 50.6 million tonnes (Mt), a decrease of 6.1% from 2022, and a decrease of 4.4% from 2019.
• Welsh ports handled 11.6% of the UK’s total freight tonnage in 2023.
• Of the total freight tonnage at major ports in Wales, 86.8% was international traffic with just over three quarters (76.6%) of this international traffic being imports.
• Welsh ports act as a gateway between the Republic of Ireland and the rest of Europe, with Holyhead handling the greatest freight tonnage between Ireland and Wales, at 4.8 million tonnes in 2023. 
• In 2023, 455,000 Lorries and unaccompanied trailers passed through Welsh ports to and from Ireland. While this represents a 5.9% increase compared to 2022, this represents a drop of 19.9% compared with 2019.

Figure 1: Indices for Sea freight and passengers at all Welsh ports, 2000 to 2023

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Description of Figure 1: Line chart showing time series indices on changes in sea freight and passengers overtime. In 2023, sea passenger traffic increased by 5.5% compared to 2022.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of Department for Transport (DfT) Maritime data

In 2023, sea passenger traffic increased by 5.5% compared to 2022. However, the 2023 total represents a 14.9% reduction in ferry passengers compared to 2019 (prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic).

This section looks at domestic and international freight traffic by type of freight and movement between regions. Total freight tonnage through Welsh ports in 2023 was 50.6 million tonnes (Mt) (Figure 2), a decrease of 6.1% compared to 2022, and a decrease of 4.4% compared to 2019. Total freight tonnage through Welsh ports has been gradually falling over the last 12 years.

Figure 2: Freight through Welsh ports, 2012 to 2023

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Description of Figure 2: Line chart showing the movement of Sea freight through Welsh ports since 2012. Total freight tonnage through Welsh ports in 2023 was 50.6 million tonnes (Mt).

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

Of the 50.6Mt of freight through Welsh ports in 2023, 36.1Mt (71.4%) were goods inwards and 14.5Mt (28.6%) were goods outwards. Freight through Welsh ports accounted for 11.6% of the total tonnage through UK ports in 2023.

The largest components of freight through Welsh major ports in 2023

• Oil products, with a total tonnage of 16.3Mt, of which nearly 10.1Mt were goods outwards: 3.7Mt were sent to destinations elsewhere in the UK and 6.4Mt were exported to the rest of the world.
• Liquefied gas, with a total tonnage of 9.9Mt, the majority (97.9%) being imported from the rest of the world.
• Crude oil, with a total tonnage of 8.3Mt, most of which 89.3% were imported from the rest of the world.

Major ports in Wales (consisting of Milford Haven, Port Talbot, Holyhead, Fishguard, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport) handled a total of 50.2Mt of freight cargo (99.2% of total Welsh sea freight) in 2023. This represents a 6.0% decrease in sea freight through major ports in Wales compared to 2022.

Three of the major ports in Wales meet specialised shipping needs (Figure 3 and Figure 5).

Milford Haven handled 34.7Mt of freight in 2023 mainly crude oil, oil products and liquefied natural gas. These three products accounted for 97.2% of all cargo at this port in 2023 and are likely related to the oil refinery in Pembroke Dock.

Port Talbot handled 6.7Mt of freight in 2023, mainly iron ore, coal and ‘Other dry bulk’ mostly for the adjacent steelworks. These three products accounted for 99.9% of all cargo at this port in 2023.

Holyhead is the main port for freight and sea passenger transport with the Irish Republic. It handled 4.8Mt of freight in 2023, mainly Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) cargo which made up for 99.2% of all cargo at this port in 2023. Of the Ro-Ro cargo handled by Holyhead, 50.6% was ‘Road goods vehicles’ and 49.3%  was ‘Unaccompanied road goods trailers and semi-trailers’. 

In 2023 Milford Haven was the largest port in Wales and the third largest port in the UK by freight tonnage, predominantly oil and gas. Freight tonnage at Milford Haven accounts for 68.6% (more than two thirds) of all Welsh port freight. It handled 34.7Mt of freight in 2023, which was 8.0% of the UK total for 2023. When compared with 2022, Milford Haven freight traffic decreased by 4.2Mt (10.8%) (Figure 3), and, compared to 2019 freight traffic decreased by 0.8%, (All freight traffic at the major and minor ports in Wales, by port and type of commodity (StatsWales)). 

Holyhead registered an increase in freight tonnage of 16.6% between 2022 and 2023, however, compared to 2019 this represents 10.2% reduction.

Figure 3: Sea freight through major Welsh ports, millions of tonnes, 2023

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Description of Figure 3: Column chart showing total weight of sea freight handled by each of the 7 major ports in 2023. In 2023, Milford Haven was the largest port in Wales and the third largest port in the UK by freight tonnage.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

Figure 4: Major sea port locations in Wales

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Description of Figure 4: Map showing location of major Sea ports in Wales and Sea routes to the Republic of Ireland

Source: Welsh Government

Figure 5 shows the composition of different sea freight at Welsh major sea ports during 2023. Oil products followed by liquefied gas dominate the sea freight tonnages.

Figure 5: Cargo categories of sea freight tonnage via Welsh major ports, 2023

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Description of Figure 5: Bar chart showing cargo categories of sea freight via Welsh ports in 2023. Oil products and liquefied gas account for the majority of Welsh sea freight by tonnage.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

This section covers the movement of sea cargo via the major Welsh ports, with ‘domestic’ referring to coastwise movement (between Welsh ports) and ‘international’ referring to the movement of cargo to and from overseas destinations. In 2023, 86.8% of the tonnage through major ports in Wales was international with 76.6% of this tonnage being imports.

Comparing domestic and international traffic for 2023

• 89.3% of crude oil transported through the ports of Wales was international (100% of crude oil transported were imports). The remaining 10.7% was domestic, consisting entirely of Inwards domestic movements.
• 71.5% of oil products transported was international, (54.7% exports and 45.3% imports). The remaining 28.5% of oil products transported was domestic (20.3% inwards and 79.7% outwards).
• Roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) movements in 2023 was entirely international with a close split between cargo imports (53.3%) and exports (46.7%).

When looking at international imports and exports for 2023

• Import tonnages were higher than exports, with 33.3Mt and 10.2Mt respectively.
• The majority was either liquid bulk (29.2Mt) or dry bulk (7.2Mt). Liquid bulk includes products such as liquefied gas, crude oil, and oil products. Dry bulk includes coal, ores and agricultural products.
• Liquid bulk imports decreased by 13.2% from 2022 and compared to 2019 this represents a 2.0% decrease. Liquid bulk exports fell by 10.3% compared with 2022, and compared to 2019, this represents an 11.4% decrease.
• Dry bulk imports increased by 10.0% from 2022, however, compared to 2019 this represents a 1.8% decrease. Dry bulk exports fell by 13.8% from 2022, however, compared to 2019 this represents a 3.2% increase.
•  Roll-on/Roll-off imports increased by 12.7% from 2022, however, compared to 2019 this represents a 9.3% reduction, whilst Roll-on/Roll-off exports fell by 12.9% compared with 2022, and, compared to 2019 this represents a 19.8% reduction.

Sea freight regions include Domestic Traffic, European Union (EU) traffic and non-European (non-EU) traffic. In 2023, non-European region freight from Welsh major ports accounted for 61.4% of all tonnage, with the dominant commodity being liquified gas (Figure 6).

Import tonnages from non-EU countries into Wales have been proportionately higher compared to import tonnages from EU countries or domestic region. However, total exports to the EU region are much higher compared to non-EU or domestic exports.

Figure 6: Sea Freight by region via Welsh ports, 2013 to 2023

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Description of Figure 6: Line chart showing movement of domestic and International (EU and Non-EU) regional sea traffic at major Welsh ports for the last 10 years. In 2023 non-European region freight from Welsh major ports accounted for 61.4% of all tonnage.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data.

The section covers Wales’s Sea coastwise freight movements, i.e., freight shipped between United Kingdom (UK) ports. Since 2015, outward sea freight tonnage has surpassed inward tonnage (Figure 7). In 2023, outward sea freight tonnage from major Welsh ports increased by 1.4% compared to 2022 and increased by 11.5% compared to 2019, whilst inwards sea freight tonnage decreased by 2.1% over the same period and increased by 13.0% compared to 2019.

Figure 7: Domestic freight movements between Welsh ports and UK ports, (millions of tonnes) 2013 to 2023

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Description of Figure 7: Line chart showing direction of domestic sea freight movements at major Welsh ports and UK ports for the latest 10 years. In 2023 outward sea freight tonnage from major Welsh ports increased by 1.4% compared to 2022.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

This section covers sea freight movement between Wales and countries from the EU and looks at total sea imports and exports from major ports.

In 2023, total tonnage of sea freight exports to the EU increased by 3.3% to 7.5Mt compared to 2022. However, compared to 2019 this represents a 10.7% decrease.

Since the EU Exit referendum, there has been an increase in shipping routes directly between Europe and the island of Ireland, which impacted the number of vehicles using Wales as a land bridge between the continent and Ireland. The weight of exports by sea from Welsh ports have been fluctuating downwards from a high of in 10.9 Mt in 2004 to 7.2 Mt in 2015 before picking up in 2016 until 2019 (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Freight movements between Welsh ports and EU, 2013 to 2023

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Description of Figure 8: Line chart showing direction of sea freight movements at major Welsh ports and EU for the last 10 years. In 2023, total tonnage of sea freight exports to the EU increased by 3.3% to 7.5Mt compared to 2022.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

In 2023, there was a 12.0% decrease in total import tonnage from the EU compared to previous year. However, compared to 2019 this represents 4.4% decrease.

When considering tonnage, most sea imports into Welsh ports come from non-EU countries – unsurprising given the dominance of oil products and liquefied gas (Figure 5). In 2023, there was a decrease from 2022 in total exports to non-EU destinations by 23.6% whilst imports decreased by 6.3% (Figure 9). Compared to 2019, total exports in 2023 had decreased by 22.4% whilst imports decreased by 3.0% over the same period.

Figure 9: Freight imports and exports between Welsh ports and non-EU, 2013 to 2023

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Description of Figure 9: Line chart showing direction of sea freight movements at major Welsh ports and non-EU for the last 10 years. In 2023, there was a decrease from 2022 in total exports to non-EU destinations by 23.6%.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

Welsh ports (Holyhead in particular) have historically acted as a gateway between the Republic of Ireland and the rest of Europe, with many hauliers opting for shorter sea routes combined with driving across the UK (land bridge). Current trends indicate a decline in the use of Wales as a land bridge since the formal departure of the UK from the EU Single Market and Customs Union in January 2021, combined with increased direct shipping routes between Ireland and continental Europe.

In 2023, 455,000 Lorries and unaccompanied trailers passed through Welsh ports to and from Ireland. While this represents a 5.9% increase compared to the year before, there was a noticeable drop in lorries and trailers through Welsh ports of 32.0% in 2021 compared to 2020, and there has been a 19.9% decrease in total compared to 2019 (Figure 11). Around half of lorries and trailers came from Ireland and half traveled to Ireland. 86.8% of this traffic went through Holyhead. (Number of lorries and unaccompanied trailers passing through Welsh ports to the Republic of Ireland, by port) (StatsWales))

Figure 10: Numbers of lorries and trailers between Irish Republic and Welsh ports by direction, 2013 to 2023

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Description of Figure 10: Column chart shows number of lorries and trailers that were moved between Welsh ports and the Irish Republic in the latest 10-year period. In 2023, 455,000 Lorries and unaccompanied trailers passed through Welsh ports to and from Ireland.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

Figure 11 shows the proportion of goods carried on Irish registered HGVs via the land bridge. Of goods carried on Irish registered HGVs from the Republic of Ireland to the continent in 2023, 58.2% went through Wales, while from the continent, 48.7% went through Wales to Ireland. These proportions have reduced significantly since the formal exit from the EU in 2020.

Figure 11: Proportion of goods carried from/to the Republic of Ireland from/to the continent on Irish registered HGVs, 2019 to 2023

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Description of Figure 11: Clustered column chart showing the proportions of goods that were carried through Welsh ports between the Republic of Ireland and the continent from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, 54.3% of goods went through Wales, while 45.7% went through other routes to the Republic of Ireland.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of Central Statistical Office Ireland data

Total freight tonnage through UK ports in 2023 was 434.9Mt, a 5.3% decrease from 2022 and a 9.9% decrease from 2019.  Wales total sea freight tonnage decreased by 6.1% whilst Scotland’s freight decreased by 7.3%. Northern Ireland sea freight decreased by 0.4% since 2022 (Total traffic inwards and outwards at ports in the United Kingdom, by country and year (StatsWales)).

Compared with 2022, inwards tonnage to the UK decreased by 5.0% to 290.0Mt and compared with 2019 decreased by 7.1%. Outwards tonnage decreased by 6% to 145.0Mt from 2022 and decreased 15.0% from 2019.

Looking at individual port tonnage:

• London Port was the UK’s leading port in 2023 in terms of freight tonnage, handling 51.6Mt (11.9% of UK tonnage), a decrease of 6.0% compared to 2022
• Grimsby & Immingham came second with 46.0Mt (10.6% of UK tonnage)
• Milford Haven port in Wales came in third position, handling 34.7Mt of freight (8.0% of UK tonnage), a 10.9% decrease compared to 2022

This section looks at the total number of sea passengers through Welsh ports, this includes passengers travelling by foot, those travelling in vehicles and those travelling as the driver of a goods vehicle.

In 2023, a total of 2.1 million sea passengers travelled between Wales and the Republic of Ireland. 1.6 million (77.5%) of these passed through Holyhead with the remainder using the ports of Fishguard and Milford Haven. (Number of sea passengers travelling on routes between Wales and the Republic of Ireland, by port (StatsWales)).

Since 2000, passenger movements between Ireland and Welsh ferry ports have been in decline. The number of ferry passengers using Welsh ports remained roughly stable since 2012, before a steep decline in 2020 as a result of travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Figure 12).

In 2023, the number of ferry passengers increased by 5.5% compared to 2022 (Figure 12). However, the 2023 total represents a 14.9% reduction in ferry passengers compared to 2019.

There were 614,000 accompanied passenger vehicles in 2023, representing a 0.4% decrease compared to 2022. However, compared to 2019 this represents a 10.0% reduction.

The main Welsh ports used by passengers are Holyhead (77.5% of passengers), Milford Haven (11.3%) and Fishguard (11.2%). 

In 2023, sea passenger traffic through Holyhead port increased by 7.0% compared to 2022. However, Holyhead port sea passenger levels in 2023 were 15.2% lower than in 2019. 

In 2023, whilst Milford Haven Sea passenger numbers had increased by 10.1% compared to 2022, they remained 27.7% lower than in 2019.

In 2023, sea passengers at Fishguard decreased by 12.1% compared to previous year. Fishguard sea passenger levels in 2023 were 1.1% lower than in 2019. 

The Pembroke Dock – Rosslare passsenger route data is grouped under ‘Milford Haven’ by the DfT. 

Figure 12: Timeline of sea passengers between Wales and Irish Republic ports, 2005 to 2023

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Description of Figure 12: Line chart showing time series for total number of sea passengers travelling between Wales and Irish Republic Ports from 2005 to 2023. In 2023, the number of ferry passengers increased by 5.5% compared to 2022.

Source: Welsh Government analysis of DfT Maritime data

Context

Related publications

The DfT produces a range of statistics relating to the maritime sector presenting information on domestic waterborne freight, ports, sea passengers, shipping fleets and sea farers. In addition, they produce UK port freight interactive dashboard (DfT) that is useful in understanding UK wide sea statistics

Transport Scotland produce a compendium publication titled ‘Scottish Transport Statistics’ which includes a chapter on Water Transport.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency publish an annual statistical bulletin titled 'Northern Ireland Ports Traffic' providing statistics on passenger and freight traffic through Northern Ireland ports.

Relevance

These figures are compiled by the DfT and Central Statistical Office Ireland (CSO Ireland). The UK-level data, together with a full description of the sources and methods used to compile these data can be found on the GOV.UK website (Maritime and shipping statistics (DfT)). These statistics are used within and outside the Welsh Government to monitor trends in sea transport and as a baseline for further analysis. They are also used by the Welsh Government to assess the impact of the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Accuracy

Freight data

Source of data

Port freight traffic statistics are based on a combination of data reported to the DfT by port authorities and shipping lines or their agents. Prior to 2000, reporting was by port authorities only. The current collection arrangements for port freight traffic statistics were introduced on 1 January 2000 to meet the requirements of the European Commission (EC) Maritime Statistics Directive (Council Directive 95/64/EC on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods and passengers by sea, recast as Directive 2009/42/EC).

Coverage

The statistics relate to traffic to and from ports in Wales. UK-level figures do not cover ports in the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

Major and minor ports

Ports are classified as either major or minor by DfT on the basis of current and historical trends in cargo volumes. More detailed data are collected for major ports than for the minor ports, and this is reflected in the statistics which can be produced. Minor ports in Wales include: Barry, Mostyn, Neath, Llanddulas, Port Penrhyn and Burry Port. 

Weights

Data presented in this release are based on the weight of freight traffic. All weights are tonnes gross, including crates and other packaging. The tare weights of containers, road goods vehicles, trailers and other items of transport equipment (i.e. the unloaded weight of the vehicle or equipment itself) are excluded.

Cargo types

Major port traffic is classified by cargo type. Cargo type is defined primarily in terms of the means by which the goods are loaded onto or off the vessel - although for some cargo types there is some further subdivision into broad commodities, the method of loading takes priority.  A table of cargo types is shown below.

Unitised traffic

Containers

• 20 ft freight units (Cargo Code 31)
• 40 ft freight units (Cargo Code 32)
• Freight units > 20 ft & < 40 ft (Cargo Code 33)
• Freight units > 40 ft (Cargo Code 34)

Roll-on/Roll-off (self- propelled)

• Road goods vehicles with or without accompanying trailers (Cargo Code 51)
• Passenger cars, motorcycles and accompanying trailers/caravans (Cargo Code 52)
• Passenger buses (Cargo Code 53)
• Import/Export motor vehicles (Cargo Code 54)
• Live animals on the hoof (Cargo Code 56)
• Other mobile self-propelled units (Cargo Code 59)

Roll-on/Roll-off (non-self- propelled)

• Unaccompanied road goods trailers & semi-trailers (Cargo Code 61)
• Unaccompanied caravans and other road, agricultural and industrial vehicles (Cargo Code 62)
• Rail wagons, shipborne port to port trailers, and shipborne barges engaged in goods transport (Cargo Code 63)
• Other mobile non-self-propelled units (Cargo Code 69)

Non-unitised traffic

Liquid Bulk

• Liquefied gas (Cargo Code 11)
• Crude oil (Cargo code 12)
• Oil products Cargo code 13)
• Other liquid bulk products (Cargo code 19)

Dry Bulk

• Ores  (Cargo code 21)
• Coal  (Cargo code 22)
• Agricultural products (Cargo code 23)
• Other dry bulk (Cargo code 29)

Other general cargo

• Forestry products (Cargo 91)
• Iron and steel products (Cargo 92)
• Other general cargo & containers < 20 ft (Cargo code 99)

Unitised goods

Goods which are lifted on or off the vessel in large (20 foot or longer) shipping containers, or rolled on or off in one of a variety of self-propelled or towed units are said to be unitised cargoes. For these cargo types, the number of units as well as the weight of goods is recorded. Subsets of unitised goods are main freight units consisting of all containers and those ro-ro units which are designed to carry freight (categories 51, 61 and 63 above). The purpose of the main freight unit classification is that it excludes those ro-ro units which are not freight carrying – i.e. passenger vehicles, trade vehicles, and other specialised vehicles and trailers.

Geographical classification of traffic

UK port traffic is classified geographically according to where the goods were last loaded or next unloaded at the other end of the sea journey. All traffic is either domestic or international.

Sea passenger data

These figures are compiled by the DfT. UK-level data, together with a full description of the sources and methods used to compile these data can be found on the GOV.UK website (Maritime and shipping statistics (DfT)).

Source of data

International ferry passenger statistics are collected monthly from ferry operators by DfT. They include drivers of lorries, coaches and other vehicles but exclude passengers on purely domestic routes.

Ship arrival statistics

They are compiled by the DfT and a link to the UK-level data, together with a full description of the sources and methods used to compile these data can be found on the GOV.UK website (Maritime and shipping statistics (DfT)).

Source of data

The primary source used was commercially obtained vessel movement data from Lloyds List Intelligence (LLI) which is now merged with other information on ship movements obtained by the DfT through the system described above for all cargo or passenger carrying movements at major ports and the sea passenger survey. The three data sources are merged at the level of individual vessels calling at each port. The maximum number of calls from any of the three sources is taken as the final estimate.

Coverage and quality

The data are considered a reasonably accurate estimate of the number of commercial shipping movements at UK ports, but are not necessarily exact, and the coverage of certain vessel or traffic types may be variable at the margins. Ship arrival data are not classified as National Statistics.

Classification of ship types and the ships arrival that are not covered

• Tankers (Trading) and includes Oil tanker, oil-chemical tanker, chemical tanker, liquid gas tanker, other tanker. 
• Ro-Ro vessels (Trading) and includes Ro-Ro passenger, Ro-Ro containers, Ro-Ro other cargo. 
• Fully cellular container vessels (Trading) include Container (fully cellular) 
• Other dry cargo vessels (Trading) include Bulk carrier, bulk-oil carrier, refrigerated cargo, specialised carrier, general cargo, general cargo-passenger. 
• Passenger (Trading) includes Passenger, cruise. 
• Other vessels (non-trading) include Offshore supply, dredging, bunkering tanker. 
• Not included are Work boats which are unlikely to be carrying cargoes      (Non-trading) and includes Fish catching, other fishing, offshore (except supply), tugs or towing/pushing craft, offshore vessels other than supply ships, such as drilling vessels, pilot vessels, research ships, fishing boats, military vessels, research, other work vessels, non-seagoing ships, non-merchant ships, non-propelled vessels, non-ship structures, vessels of unknown or unrecorded type

Timeliness and punctuality

This bulletin reports on Sea Transport in Wales during 2023. Information covers traffic to and from ports in Wales. UK-level figures do not cover ports in the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. This bulletin is based on annual data which is published by the DfT. 

Related publications are available from the Statistics and Research website.

Sea Transport statistics for Wales are available on the StatsWales website.

Accessibility and clarity

This statistical bulletin is pre-announced and then published on the Statistics and Research website and is accompanied by tables on our StatsWales website.

Comparability and coherence

The DfT produces a range of statistics relating to the maritime sector presenting information on domestic waterborne freight, ports, sea passengers, shipping fleets and sea farers.

The Office for National Statistics publish weekly shipping indicators as part of their weekly Economic Activity and social change in the, real-time indicators.

Official statistics status

All official statistics should show the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics (UK Statistics Authority). 

These are accredited official statistics. Their designation was confirmed in February 2011 following a full assessment against the Code of Practice (UK Statistics Authority). They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

It is Welsh Government’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of accreditation. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with OSR promptly. Accreditation can be cancelled or suspended at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.

Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR. OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

All of our statistics are produced and published in accordance with a number of statements and protocols to enhance trustworthiness, quality and value. These are set out in the Welsh Government’s Statement of Compliance.

These accredited official statistics (OSR) demonstrate the standards expected around trustworthiness, quality and public value in the following ways.

Trustworthiness

These statistics use data compiled by the DfT and Central Statistical Office Ireland (CSO Ireland). The UK-level data, together with a full description of the sources and methods used to compile these data can be found on the GOV.UK website (Maritime and shipping statistics (DfT)). 

These statistics are pre-announced on the Statistics and Research area of the Welsh Government website. Access to the data during processing is restricted to those involved in the production of the statistics, quality assurance and for operational purposes. Pre-release access is restricted to eligible recipients in line with the Code of Practice (UK Statistics Authority).

Quality

The published figures provided are compiled by professional analysts using the latest available data and applying methods using their professional judgement and analytical skillset. Statistics published by Welsh Government adhere to the Statistical Quality Management Strategy which supplements the Quality pillar of the Code of Practice for Statistics UK Statistics Authority) and the European Statistical System principles of quality for statistical outputs. 

The statistical release is then drafted, signed off by senior statisticians and published in line with the Welsh Government’s statement on confidentiality and data access

Value

The purposes of this statistical release and the accompanying data published on StatsWales are to provide evidence for policy development and to inform the media and wider public about the changes to the Welsh sea transport.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk  or via the OSR website. which is informed by the trustworthiness pillar contained in the Code of Practice for Statistics UK Statistics Authority).

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFG)

The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 is about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The Act puts in place seven wellbeing goals for Wales. These are for a more equal, prosperous, resilient, healthier and globally responsible Wales, with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. Under section (10)(1) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the wellbeing goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before Senedd Cymru. Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. These national indicators were laid before the Senedd in 2021. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016. 

Information on the indicators, along with narratives for each of the well-being goals and associated technical information is available in the Wellbeing of Wales report.

Further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

The statistics included in this release could also provide supporting narrative to the national indicators and are used by public services boards in relation to their local well-being assessments and local well-being plans.

We welcome any feedback on any aspect of these statistics which can be provided to: stats.transport@gov.wales

Statistician: Oscar Carrel
Email: stats.transport@gov.wales

Media: 0300 025 8099

SB 37/2024

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