In Germany, the amount of cargo transported by inland waterways declined 6.4% YoY in 2022 compared to the previous year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, a total of 182 million tonnes of commodities were transported across German inland waterways, down from 195 million tonnes in 2021. (Destatis). Since the unification of Germany in 1990, this was the lowest transport volume.

Drops in the production of significant products delivered and the low water levels in August 2022 were two factors that contributed to the record low. In comparison to the volume recorded for the year before to COVID-19 in 2019, when 205 million tonnes of products had been transported by inland water transport, the transport volume of 2022 fell short by 11%.

Furthermore, Destatis reports that freight volume carried to foreign ports decreased by 12.1% while coal shipments increased 12.1% as a result of increased demand brought on by the energy crisis.

Source: Gütertransport in der Binnenschifffahrt 2022 so niedrig wie noch nie seit der deutschen Vereinigung – Statistisches Bundesamt (destatis.de)