Less Cargo, More Passengers on Serbia’s Rivers in the First Half of the Year

As of July 1st, the Port Governance Agency recorded 7.1 million tonnes of cargo handled on Serbia’s rivers. Compared to the same period last year, this represents a decrease of 386,000 tonnes—or five percent. The decline is primarily due to reduced volumes of construction materials—such as gravel, sand, and stone aggregates—as well as grains.

The most dominant cargo types in overall river transshipment were gravel, sand, and stone aggregates, accounting for 27 percent of the total. This marks a slight decrease in share compared to previous years. They are followed by oil and petroleum products with 18 percent, ores and coal with 13 percent each, and grains making up eight percent of total cargo handled in the first half of the year.

Some cargo categories saw notable growth—coal transshipment increased by 65 percent compared to the same period last year, while ore handling rose by 25 percent, driven by higher demand. On the other hand, grain volumes dropped by 41 percent, and aggregates (gravel, sand, stone) by 28 percent, reflecting trends in the market.

During the first half of the year, three port areas reported an increase in cargo handling, while eight saw a decrease compared to 2023.

Meanwhile, Serbia’s river cruise sector continues to show positive momentum. By July 1st, a total of 660 port calls and 96,885 passengers were recorded—marking a 4.6 percent increase in port calls and a 9.4 percent increase in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.

Belgrade’s international passenger terminal recorded the highest number of port calls with 245, followed by Novi Sad with 159. Donji Milanovac registered 126, Golubac 90, and Zemun 27. So far this season, the terminal in Kladovo saw six port calls. Belgrade also remains the busiest international passenger terminal in terms of passenger disembarkations, with 36,396 recorded.

Cargo volumes in the second half of the year will largely depend on commodity market conditions and price trends. At the same time, based on current indicators, the positive growth in port calls and passenger numbers is expected to continue throughout the ongoing nautical season.