The year 2025 did not bring any major surprises in terms of cargo traffic or passenger volumes through the Port of Helsinki. The number of unit loads remained at 1.1 million units. Total goods traffic in the Port of Helsinki Group was 13.4 million tonnes, which is 4.7% less than in the previous year. Liner traffic carried 9.5 million passengers (+0.9%). In addition, international cruise ships brought 175,000 cruise visitors to the city.

“The summer season for passenger traffic was very busy, but growth in passenger volumes for the whole year was modest. In goods traffic, we were expecting in vain for the Finnish economy to pick up. This was particularly evident in the port in terms of sluggish import of goods,” says Ville Haapasaari, CEO of the Port of Helsinki, summing up last year’s traffic.

Number of containers and trailers increased, number of bulk cargoes decreased

In 2025, the Port of Helsinki Group’s total goods traffic was 13.4 million tonnes (-4.7%).

Foreign goods imports were 5.9 M tonnes (-7.7%) and exports 7.3 M tonnes (-0.2%).  

Exports passing through the port included machinery and equipment, as well as other general merchandise, paper, and pulp. The main imports to Finland were consumer and investment goods and industrial products. 

Helsinki is one of the largest unit cargo ports in the Nordic countries. It serves the unitized cargo for Finland’s foreign trade, i.e. cargo transported on lorries, trailers, and in containers.

In 2025, 1.1 million units of unitized freight were transported. Container traffic was just under 0.5 million TEUs*, or 9.5% busier than in the previous year. There were 462,000 trucks (-6.7%) and 178,000 trailers (+1.3%).

In international traffic, there were 7,293 vessel calls (1.0%), amounting to one third of the total number of calls in Mainland Finland. The number of coastal vessel calls was 68 (-13.9%).

Goods traffic	2024	2025	Change in % 25/24
No. of trucks and lorries	495,000	462,000		-6.7%
No. of trailers	175,000	178,000		1.3%
Containers, TEU	444,000	486,000		9.5%
Unitized goods traffic, tonnes	12,193,000	12,046,000		-1.2%
Import, tonnes	5,540,000	5,314,000		-4.1%
Export, tonnes	6,653,000	6,732,000		1.2%
Bulk goods traffic, tonnes	1,193,000	795,000		-33.4%
Break bulk, tonnes	522,000	387,000		-25.9%
Total foreign traffic	13,699,000	13,196,000		-3.7%
Coastal traffic, tonnes	324,000	163,000		-49.6%
TOTAL GOODS TRAFFIC, tonnes	14,009,000	13,359,000		-4.7%

Travel volumes slightly higher than last year

The total volume of scheduled passenger traffic** was 9.5 million passengers, 0.9% more than the previous year.

The busiest route is between Helsinki and Tallinn. It carried 7.5 million passengers, slightly more than the previous year. The Stockholm route carried 1.7 million passengers and the route between Helsinki and Travemünde transported 167,000 passengers.

The number of passenger vehicles was 1.4 million, down 2% from the previous year.

The low season for domestic construction is still reflected in the relatively light commuter traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn. In addition, the number of Russian passengers and tourists from abroad on the shipping routes is low compared to the busiest years.

Liner Traffic	2024	2025	change in % 25/24
Stockholm	1,642,000	1,687,000	2.7%
Tallinn	7,491,000	7,519,000	0.4%
Travemünde	169,000	167,000	-1.6%
Mariehamn	36,000	36,000	0.9%
Other	30,000	43,000	43.5%
TOTAL	9,367,000	9,451,000	0.9%

The combined total number of passengers in scheduled passenger and international cruise ship traffic was 9.6 million. 

During the year, 101 international cruise ship calls were made, and a total of more than 175,000 international cruise guests arrived in Helsinki, which is 26.4% more than in the previous year.

There were six cruise ships that visited Helsinki for the first time and six overnight stays.

In 2025, Helsinki also received the highest number of cruise passengers from Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia.

Year 2026

We live in a time where the predictability of logistics and world politics remains poor. In particular, growth in goods imports would require a pick-up in domestic construction and a boost in consumer spending.

“The forecast for goods traffic for the current year is cautious, and we expect moderate growth in passenger traffic,” Haapasaari concludes.

* TEU = twenty-foot equivalent unit.
** scheduled passenger traffic = regular ship traffic that operates according to a schedule, e.g. RoPax ferries operating between Tallinn and Helsinki.

More information:
Port of Helsinki Statistics January–December 2025