In 2025, inland shipping in Germany carried 1.3 % less cargo than the previous year. According to Destatis, the total amount transported on inland waterways was 171.6 million tonnes (in 2024 it was 173.8 million tonnes), the lowest figure recorded since German reunification in 1990.
The decline in shipping activity is mainly linked to reduced exports to foreign destinations. Goods shipped abroad fell to 41.1 million tonnes, a 4.8 % drop compared to the year before. Imports from overseas rose slightly to 77.0 million tonnes, up 0.6 %. Domestic traffic remained constant at 42.8 million tonnes, showing a modest 0.2 % increase, while transit traffic decreased sharply to 10.7 million tonnes, down 5.4 %.
Examining cargo categories, dry bulk goods – such as stones, earth, ores, and coal – accounted for 92.5 million tonnes, a 1.5 % decline, and represented 53.9 % of total volume. Liquid bulk goods, including liquid mineral oil products and chemicals, totaled 49.0 million tonnes, down 1.9 % and making up 28.5 % of the overall flow. Container traffic reached 16.6 million tonnes (a 1.0 % drop) and contributed 9.7 % to total shipments. All other cargo types together recorded 13.5 million tonnes, up 2.4 %, and accounted for 7.9 % of total traffic.
Among the most significant cargo groups in 2025 were liquid mineral oil products (27.8 million tonnes, down 2.7 %); stones and earth (20.0 million tonnes, down 0.7 %); iron ore (17.7 million tonnes, down 12.7 %); and coal (16.1 million tonnes, up 5.9 %). These four categories comprised nearly half (47.5 %) of the entire inland shipping volume.
For foreign trade, the so‑called ARA ports-Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam-held particular importance. In 2025, Rotterdam facilitated 57.2 million tonnes of bilateral trade with Germany, making it by far the largest cross‑border hub on inland waterways. Antwerp handled 17.7 million tonnes, while Amsterdam moved 9.0 million tonnes. Together, these three ports accounted for 84.0 million tonnes, or 71.1 % of the 118.1 million tonnes of goods traded abroad.
Finally, Dutch‑flagged vessels dominated the sector, carrying more than half (55.1 %) of all inland shipping traffic in 2025, whereas German‑flagged ships accounted for just under a third (31.7 %).