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Accredited official statistics

Sea passenger statistics: international sea passengers 2025

Published 29 July 2026

漏 Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at /government/statistics/sea-passenger-statistics-all-routes-2025/sea-passenger-statistics-international-sea-passengers-2025

This statistical release presents final statistics on sea passengers on international routes to and from the UK for 2025.

International passengers听are those that travel on international routes. These are broken down into short sea (ferry) routes and passengers on cruises and long sea journeys.

These statistics include all vehicle drivers (including Heavy Goods Vehicle drivers), their passengers and foot passengers on ferries.

You can use our听听to further explore international sea passenger trends.

2025听谤别濒别补蝉别

Comparisons have been made with figures from听2024, as well as 2019, the last full year before the coronavirus pandemic started.

顿别蹿颈苍颈迟颈辞苍蝉听

Short sea听passenger figures include all passengers on short sea routes between the UK and the rest of Europe.听听

Cruise听passenger figures include all passengers on international cruise journeys who embark and/or disembark their cruise journey at a UK port. Cruise passengers are included at both departure and arrival if their journey begins and ends at a UK seaport. Passengers passing through on transit calls, where they return to the ship and continue their cruise, are not included in these figures.听听

Long sea听voyage passengers are those travelling on one-way scheduled voyages to and from ports outside Europe and Mediterranean, that either embark or disembark from a UK port. This type of journey includes transatlantic cruises and repositioning cruises.

Headline figures听

International sea passenger numbers decreased to 18.1 million in 2025, a 2% decrease compared to 2024.听听听

This follows several years of growth after the sharp decrease in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the recovery seen from 2021 to 2024, passenger numbers remain 12% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Chart 1: UK international sea passengers, 2015听to听2025听(SPAS0101, SPAS0107)

For听international passengers听in听2025:听

  • the total number of international short sea passengers (on ferry routes)鈥痙ecreased鈥痓y 鈥�2%鈥痶o鈥�14.9鈥痬illion and鈥痳emained鈥�19% below 2019 levels鈥�

  • cruise passengers鈥痵tayed stable in 2025 at 3.1 million,听but have increased by 51% compared to 2.0 million in 2019

Chart 2: UK international sea passengers by type of route, 2015听to听2025 (SPAS0101)

In 2025 there听were 18.1 million international sea passengers. Of this total:听

  • 14.9 million (83%) were short sea passengers听听

  • 3.1 million (17%) were cruise passengers

  • 91,000 (1%) were long sea passengers

International short sea passengers听

Monthly trends听(SPAS0107)听

In听2025, the number of short sea passengers on international routes听decreased听by听2%,听from听15.3听million in 2024听to听14.9听million听in 2025.听Chart 3 breaks down the totals by month.听

Chart听3: International short sea passengers by month,听2025听(SPAS0107)

International passenger numbers tend to follow a seasonal pattern, excluding the pandemic听period听of听2020-2021. The trend is characterized by lower passenger figures during the winter听and autumn听periods,听and higher听numbers听in spring and summer.听听

In听2025, the month with the lowest passenger听level听was January, with 629,00 passengers.听Numbers then听steadily increased听through spring, reaching 1.4 million in April, coinciding with the Easter period. Numbers continued to rise over the summer,听peaking听in August,听when听passenger numbers听reached听2.4听million.听From听August onwards, numbers听decreased听again听throughout autumn,听back to winter levels.听Numbers then slightly increased during the Christmas period听to听1.0 million in December. This is driven by an increase in short sea ferry听crossings听as people听travel for听Christmas.

International cruise and long sea passengers听

Passengers on international cruises听

In听2025, international cruise passenger numbers听stayed stable with 2024 levels, at 3.1 million,听51%听higher than听2019, showing that the cruise sector grew post-covid. This is the highest number of international cruise passengers recorded and follows听the upward trend that was听established听before the coronavirus pandemic听(chart听4).听听

Of these 3.1听million cruise passengers, 2.6听million (86%) passed through Southampton and听102,000听(3%) through Dover.听The ports听of听Liverpool, London and Portsmouth had听70,000,听131,000, and听61,000听passengers respectively starting or ending a cruise journey in听2025.听

An听additional听57,000听cruise passengers (2%) passed through other ports including Forth, Tyne and听Dundee.听

Passenger numbers for domestic cruises can be found in听Sea Passenger Statistics: Domestic Sea Passengers 2025.

Passengers on long sea voyages

In听2025, the number of long sea passengers听increased听from听37,000听in 2024听to听91,000听in听2025.听This听represents听an increase of 151%.听The number of long sea passengers can vary听greatly each听year, in part because operators can use these trips to reposition vessels around the world as needed, such as trans-Atlantic voyages between Caribbean and European itineraries听(chart听4).听These numbers are small, and the 2025 figure has听returned听to levels seen in previous years.听听

Detailed statistics on cruise and long sea passengers by port group can be found in the data table听SPAS0101.

Chart听4: Cruise and long sea passengers, 2005听to听2025听(SPAS0101, SPAS0107)

Annex: timeline of coronavirus events affecting sea travel

A timeline of events听during the coronavirus pandemic that affected听sea travel since March 2020听until March 2022听can be found in听the听Notes and definitions听section.

These sea passenger statistics do not provide听further听information about the individuals travelling through UK ports. Additional information on the origin of passengers is available from the听听听monthly figures.听

The ONS International Passenger Survey publish overseas residents鈥� visits to the UK by month with a breakdown of geographical areas (for example, EU15 including all countries that joined the EU prior to 2004), as well as information on UK residents visits abroad and where their destination is, again segmented using the same geographical areas. This survey also produces a table on the earnings in the UK and expenditure abroad.听

Background information听

We would welcome听any feedback on these statistics by听sea-passenger.stats@dft.gov.uk. We will attempt to address any comments in a subsequent release.听

The听data tables听for sea passenger statistics are available.听

Provisional summary totals for international sea passenger traffic are released monthly in听SPAS0107.听

Full guidance听on the methods used in the publication of these releases, and the quality of the听data,听and known users and uses of the statistics are available.听

The sea passenger statistics are听. The statistics presented in this release were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in February 2013 and are therefore labelled 鈥榓ccredited official statistics鈥�.听

Details of ministers and officials who receive听pre-release access听to these statistics up to 24 hours before release are available.听

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