The World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence have published the fifth edition of the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), covering the years 2020–2024. The index, which ranks ports by the time container ships spend in port, offers a telling snapshot of how Europe’s maritime gateways have weathered recent crises and how they compare to global competitors.
The CPPI provides an objective measure of container port performance by calculating the average time vessels spend in port. It combines administrative data from shipping lines with statistical modelling to produce a normalised score. A high score indicates shorter turnaround times and greater efficiency. Since its launch in 2021, the index has become a key reference point for policymakers, shipping lines, and port operators looking to cut logistics costs, improve reliability, and lower emissions.
The five-year period covered by the latest CPPI mirrors the wider turbulence in supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic created record congestion and saw global indices of stress reach unprecedented highs in 2021 and 2022. Ports slowly recovered in 2023, but the improvement was partially reversed in 2024. This time, however, the disruption was driven by geopolitical and climatic shocks: the Red Sea security crisis forced shipping lines to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope, while drought restrictions cut Panama Canal transits. Both factors undermined schedule reliability and increased port congestion.
Compared with the chaos of the pandemic years, the 2024 decline in performance was modest. Still, it underscored how vulnerable global supply chains remain to shocks beyond the control of any single terminal.
European ports steady but fail to improve
The report highlights that only Europe and North America maintained roughly the same port performance in 2024 as in the previous year. In other words, European ports managed to stabilise but failed to improve further. By contrast, regions such as South Asia and parts of East Asia showed stronger rebounds.
The impact of rerouted services was not uniform across the continent. Mediterranean hubs, many of which function as transhipment points, were more exposed to disruptions in the Red Sea corridor. Northern European gateways, meanwhile, faced challenges from schedule unreliability and inland bottlenecks.
Europe’s best-performing ports
Spain’s Port of Algeciras again led the way for Europe, ranking 20th globally with a CPPI score of 109.0. The port benefited from its position as a transhipment hub at the crossroads of East–West and North–South trade lanes. Gdańsk in Poland climbed to 47th place (61.7), reflecting its growing importance on Baltic trades, while Gioia Tauro in Italy secured 49th place (60.0).
Other notable European ports in the top 100 included Sines in Portugal (79th, 42.0) and Piraeus in Greece (82nd, 40.0).
Figure 1: Algeciras, Gdańsk, and Gioia Tauro were Europe’s top-ranked ports in the 2024 CPPI, while Sines and Piraeus also made the global top 100.
Ports with the strongest rebound
Some European ports posted dramatic year-on-year gains in 2024. Trieste in Italy improved its CPPI score by +118 points, Gdańsk by +85, and Le Havre by +72. Koper in Slovenia also moved up with a gain of +51. These improvements suggest that investment in berth productivity, digitalisation, and landside connections is beginning to pay dividends.
Neighbouring Türkiye also recorded some of the most striking jumps: Mersin (+227) and İskenderun (+134), both of which serve as key gateways in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Figure 2: Trieste, Gdańsk, and Le Havre saw the strongest rebounds in 2024, with Turkish ports Mersin and İskenderun also showing major gains.
Struggling European mega-ports
Europe’s largest container gateways did not fare as well. Rotterdam ranked 197th with a CPPI of just 4. According to the CPPI annex data, vessels spent around 65% of their port time at berth. . Antwerp-Bruges placed 123rd (19), Hamburg 295th (-13), and Felixstowe 336th (-33). Valencia also slipped, falling to 308th (-18).
These results reflect the challenges faced by import-heavy ports that must process large volumes through constrained yards and complex hinterland networks. In contrast, export-oriented and transhipment hubs tend to record stronger CPPI scores.
Figure 3: Europe’s largest ports — Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Valencia, and Felixstowe — all ranked in the lower half of the CPPI 2024.
Long-term European trends
Looking at the full 2020–2024 period, a handful of European ports stand out for sustained improvement. Gothenburg in Sweden increased its score by +71 points, Marseille by +59, Nantes–Saint-Nazaire by +27, and Aarhus by +26. These gains indicate long-term progress in operational efficiency despite the disruptions of recent years.
For Europe, the CPPI paints a picture of resilience rather than resurgence. Ports avoided the steep deterioration seen during the pandemic, but they have not yet achieved the efficiency gains registered in other regions. The stability masks stark differences between high-performing transhipment hubs and congested gateway ports.
The findings suggest two clear takeaways. First, European ports that invested early in automation, digital systems, and streamlined hinterland access are reaping benefits in shorter vessel turnaround times. Second, the continent’s largest gateways continue to face structural constraints that leave them vulnerable when global shipping patterns are disrupted.
