Cargo and passenger volumes at the Port of Helsinki remained largely stable in 2025. Unitized cargo stayed at 1.1 million units. Total goods traffic reached 13.4 million tonnes, down 4.7% year on year. Liner services carried 9.5 million passengers, up 0.9%. International cruise ships brought 175,000 visitors to Helsinki.
CEO Ville Haapasaari said the summer passenger season was busy, but full-year growth remained modest. He noted that weak economic growth in Finland slowed imports.
Containers Up, Bulk Cargo Down
Total goods traffic in the Port of Helsinki Group fell to 13.4 million tonnes. Imports dropped to 5.9 million tonnes, down 7.7%. Exports reached 7.3 million tonnes, down slightly by 0.2%.
Exports mainly included machinery, equipment, paper, and pulp. Imports consisted mostly of consumer goods, investment goods, and industrial products.
Helsinki remains one of the largest unit cargo ports in the Nordic region. It handles most of Finland’s unitized foreign trade.
Container traffic grew strongly. Volumes reached just under 0.5 million TEUs, up 9.5%. Trailer traffic increased to 178,000 units. Truck volumes fell to 462,000 units. Bulk cargo declined sharply, reflecting weaker construction activity.
International vessel calls totaled 7,293, accounting for one-third of all calls in mainland Finland. Coastal vessel calls dropped significantly.
Passenger Traffic Shows Modest Growth
Scheduled passenger traffic reached 9.5 million passengers, a 0.9% increase. The Helsinki–Tallinn route remained the busiest, with 7.5 million passengers. Traffic to Stockholm rose to 1.7 million passengers. The Travemünde route carried 167,000 passengers.
Passenger vehicle volumes fell by 2% to 1.4 million units. Lower construction activity and reduced Russian and long-haul tourism continued to affect demand.
Cruise Traffic Expands
Total passenger numbers, including cruise traffic, reached 9.6 million. Cruise activity increased sharply. Helsinki welcomed 101 international cruise calls and more than 175,000 cruise guests, up 26.4%. Six cruise ships visited the city for the first time, and six stayed overnight.
Most cruise passengers came from Germany, the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Outlook for 2026
Uncertainty in global politics and logistics continues. Import growth depends on stronger construction activity and higher consumer spending.
Haapasaari said the outlook for cargo remains cautious. He expects moderate growth in passenger traffic in 2026.
