Sea passenger statistics: overview 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-overview-2025
About this release
This statistical release presents final statistics听of听sea passengers on both international and domestic routes to and from the UK for 2025.
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.
顿别蹿颈苍颈迟颈辞苍蝉听
This statistical release presents the complete statistics on all sea passengers to and from the UK in 2025. It includes (infographic 1):听听
International passengers: These include all passengers travelling on international short sea routes,听cruises听and long sea journeys to and from the UK.听
Domestic passengers: All other short sea passenger routes, including routes between Great Britain and the Orkney and Shetland Islands, domestic cruises, domestic river听crossings听and inter-island routes.
Infographic 1: Breakdown of types of sea passenger routes
Summary of sea passenger statistics
International sea passenger numbers听decreased听to 18.1 million in 2025, 2% lower than 2024.听Domestic sea passenger numbers听increased听by听2%听from 38.3听million听in 2024听to 39.2听million in 2025.听听
After the sharp decrease from 2019 to 2021听due to the coronavirus pandemic,听total听sea passenger听figures听recovered sharply initially听but this increase听has听slowed听year on year.听In听2025,听numbers听for international and domestic sea passengers remained respectively听12% and听7% below 2019听levels.
Chart 1: UK domestic and international sea passengers, 2015听to 2025
奥颈迟丑颈苍听international passengers in 2025, the total number of short sea passengers (on ferry routes) decreased by 2% to听14.9 million,听suggesting a levelling of the trend at 19%听below 2019 levels.听International cruise passenger numbers followed a different trend, recovering strongly since the coronavirus pandemic and exceeding 2019 levels in 2023. In 2025,听they听remained听stable at 3.1 million听(chart 2),听unchanged from 2024, but 51% higher than听2019 levels.
Chart 2: Cruise and long sea passengers, 2005听to 2025听(SPAS0101, SPAS0107)
For听domestic passengers听in 2025:听
-
the total number of passengers on domestic sea crossings听decreased by 2%, from 3.8 million in 2024 to 3.7 million in 2025, but remained 8% higher than in 2019
-
the number of inter-island听passengers听increased by 1% compared with 2024, but听remained听12%听lower听than in 2019听听
-
the number of听passengers on river ferries听increased听4% compared听with 2024, but remained 4% lower than in 2019
Useful information听
We would welcome any feedback on these statistics by听sea-passenger.stats@dft.gov.uk. We will听attempt听to address any comments in a听subsequent听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听the methods used in the publication of these听releases, and听the quality of the data, 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听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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