Volume of goods transported in domestic waterborne traffic decreased by 13 per cent in 2023

Volume of goods transport decreased by 13 per cent

In 2023, goods transport in domestic waterborne traffic totalled 5.5 million tonnes. After the increase in volumes transported in 2022, transports made a downturn again in 2023, declining by 13 per cent. Ninety per cent of the total volume of transport was carried by vessels. Timber floating covered the remaining 10 per cent of transport.

The volume of shipborne transport was 5.0 million tonnes and the volume transported decreased by 15 per cent compared to 2022. The decrease in transport is mainly explained by a 29 per cent drop in the transport of oil products. Nevertheless, transport of oil products covered 46 per cent of the transport in domestic waterborne traffic. Timber was transported second most, its share of shipborne transport was 26 per cent.

Volume of shipborne goods transport in domestic waterborne traffic by type of goods in 2020 to 2023

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The transport performance of domestic waterborne traffic was 2.6 billion tonne-kilometres and it went down by 0.2 billion tonne-kilometres from the year before. Ninety-four per cent of the transport performance came from shipborne traffic and 91 per cent of the transport performance in shipborne traffic occurred in coastal areas. Eighty-three per cent of the total volume of shipborne transport was transported in coastal areas. The transport is coastal transport if the port of departure or destination is situated on the coast.

Transport volume of timber continued growing

In 2023, timber was transported both by floating and in vessels in domestic waterborne traffic. A total of 1.8 million tonnes of timber were transported. A total of 0.6 million tonnes were floated and 1.3 million tonnes were transported in vessels. In total, transport of timber grew by 15 per cent compared to 2022. The volume of timber transported by floating increased by 14 per cent and that of timber transported in vessels by 16 per cent. In 2023, timber was floated only in the Vuoksi river basin.

Goods transport between Åland and Mainland Finland declined

A total of 230,991 tonnes of goods were transported between Mainland Finland and Åland in 2023. A total of 108,947 tonnes of goods were imported to Åland and 122,044 tonnes of goods were exported from there. In total, goods transport between Mainland Finland and Åland went down by nine per cent compared to 2022. Transport of general cargo decreased most, by 17 per cent. General cargo, 82,894 tonnes, and oil products, 18,440 tonnes, were imported most to Åland. Most exports from Åland consisted of timber, 73,858 tonnes, and general cargo, 43,822 tonnes.

Passenger traffic reached the pre-pandemic level

Altogether 4.9 million passengers were transported in domestic waterborne traffic in 2023. Of the passengers, 4.7 million travelled in coastal areas and 0.3 in inland waterways. The traffic recorded in the statistics includes both cruises and liner and ferry traffic.

The number of passengers was highest in the area of the Gulf of Finland, 3.4 million, and the passenger traffic performance was highest between Mainland Finland and Åland, 75 million passenger-kilometres. The total number of passengers increased by 13 per cent from 2022, and compared to 2019 prior to the pandemic, the number of passengers was three per cent higher. Compared to 2022, the number of passengers in coastal areas increased by 13 per cent and in inland waterways by 15 per cent.

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No goods were transported through the Saimaa Canal

Russia's attack on Ukraine in practice stopped goods transport through the Saimaa Canal in the early part of 2022. In 2023, no goods at all were transported through the Saimaa Canal.