Freight carried on the EU’s inland waterways fell by 3.0% in 2025 to 118.0 billion tonne-kilometres.
A tonne-kilometre measures one tonne of goods moved one kilometre, a standard way of tracking freight activity, Eurostat said in a release on Wednesday.
Freight transport on EU inland waterways had been steady at about 145–146 billion tonne-kilometres between 2015 and 2017, before dropping sharply in 2018 and remaining below that earlier peak.
Activity reached a low of 116.4 billion tonne-kilometres in 2023, then rose to 121.6 billion in 2024 before falling again in 2025.
Germany and the Netherlands were the largest contributors in 2025, with 42.7 billion and 42.2 billion tonne-kilometres respectively. Together they accounted for 71.9% of the EU total.
International journeys made up the largest share
International transport accounted for 54.7% of inland waterway freight activity in 2025, while national transport represented 24.9% and transit transport 20.4%, Eurostat said.
International transport made up 74.0% of inland waterway freight in Austria, the highest share among EU countries, followed by Germany at 64.1% and Belgium at 57.2%.
By contrast, national transport dominated in Czechia at 97.4%, Poland at 82.2% and France at 60.2%, while Lithuania, Finland and Sweden recorded only national transport in 2025.
Transit transport accounted for 97.2% of inland waterway freight in Croatia and 92.8% in Bulgaria, with Luxembourg at 87.9%, Slovakia at 83.0% and Hungary at 60.1%.
Metal ores were the most transported goods category in 2025, accounting for 22.2% of inland waterway freight measured in tonne-kilometres.
Coke and refined petroleum products made up 16.2%, followed by chemicals, rubber and plastic and nuclear fuel at 14.3%.
Compared with 2024, transport of agricultural products recorded the largest fall at 19.7%, while coal and crude petroleum rose the most at 21.3%.
