Volume of goods transported in domestic waterborne traffic decreased by one per cent in 2025

Volume of goods transport decreased slightly

In 2025, goods transport in domestic waterborne traffic totalled 4.6 million tonnes. The volume of goods transport, which have decreased since 2023, decreased further by one per cent in 2025. Eighty-six per cent of the total volume of transport was carried by vessels. Timber floating covered the remaining 14 per cent of transport.

The volume of shipborne transport was 4.0 million tonnes and the volume transported decreased by five per cent compared to 2024. The decrease in transport is mainly explained by a 49 per cent drop in the transport of hard coal and coke. The transport of oil products covered half of the transport in domestic waterborne traffic. The transport of oil products decreased by five per cent from the previous year. Timber was transported second most, its share of shipborne transport was 21 per cent. The share of hard coal and coke in transport was three per cent. The biggest growth was seen in the transport of wood pulp and paper. 

The transport performance of domestic waterborne traffic was 2.1 billion tonne-kilometres and it went down by 0.2 billion tonne-kilometres from the year before. Ninety-two per cent of the transport performance came from shipborne traffic and 89 per cent of the transport performance in shipborne traffic occurred in coastal areas. Eighty-one 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.

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Transport volume of timber decreased by three per cent

In 2025, timber was transported both by floating and in vessels in domestic waterborne traffic. A total of 1.5 million tonnes of timber were transported. A total of 0.6 million tonnes were floated and 0.8 million tonnes were transported in vessels. In total, transport of timber decreased by three per cent compared to 2024. The volume of timber transported by floating increased by 31 per cent and that of timber transported in vessels decreased by 19 per cent. In 2025, timber was floated only in the Vuoksi river basin.

Goods transport between Åland and Mainland Finland declined

A total of 201,776 tonnes of goods were transported between Mainland Finland and Åland in 2025. A total of 110,934 tonnes of goods were imported to Åland and 90,842 tonnes of goods were exported from there. In total, goods transport between Mainland Finland and Åland went down by eight per cent compared to 2024. Transport of timber decreased most, by 31 per cent. General cargo, 87,020 tonnes, and oil products, 17,732 tonnes, were imported most to Åland. Most exports from Åland consisted of general cargo, 48,241 tonnes and timber, 42,369 tonnes.

Passenger traffic grew in 2025

In 2025, a total of 5.2 million passengers were transported in domestic waterborne traffic, which is five per cent more than in 2024. Of the passengers, 5.0 million travelled in coastal areas and 0.2 million in inland waterways. Compared to 2024, the number of passengers in coastal areas increased by six per cent and in inland waterways the number fell by two per cent. 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, 3.6 million, and the passenger traffic performance was highest between Mainland Finland and Åland, 85 million passenger-kilometres.

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 2025, no goods at all were transported through the Saimaa Canal.