Aquaculture is reshaping global seafood with $281 billion in industry value in 2020 and a production base that reached 122.6 million tonnes that year. Work is heavily concentrated in Asia, where 89% of output is produced and 94% of aquaculture workers are located. Explore how salmon and shrimp lead markets, and how metrics like feed efficiency and greenhouse gas intensity affect both economies and the environment.
Key Takeaways
- Aquaculture industry valued at $281 billion in 2020
- Global aquaculture trade worth $195 billion in 2020
- Salmon is the highest valued aquaculture species at $25 billion annually
- Aquaculture provides 218 million jobs worldwide
- In Asia, 94% of aquaculture workers
- China employs 18 million in aquaculture
- Aquaculture GHG emissions 0.01 kg CO2 per kg product
- Fed aquaculture uses 20% less feed than 1990s
- Salmon farming FCR improved to 1.2:1
- Aquaculture to surpass capture fisheries by 2025
- Asia produces 89% of global aquaculture
- Salmon top traded aquaculture product $20 billion
- Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020
- Aquaculture accounted for 51% of total aquatic animal production in 2020
- China's aquaculture production was 52.4 million tonnes in 2020
Aquaculture drives global jobs and trade, with Asia leading production and surging past capture fisheries by 2025.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Value28 stats
01
Aquaculture industry valued at $281 billion in 2020
02
Global aquaculture trade worth $195 billion in 2020
03
Salmon is the highest valued aquaculture species at $25 billion annually
04
Shrimp aquaculture contributes $40 billion to global economy
05
Chinese aquaculture GDP contribution is $100 billion yearly
06
Norway's aquaculture exports reached €10 billion in 2021
07
Global tilapia market size $12 billion in 2022
08
Pangasius exports from Vietnam valued at $1.8 billion in 2021
09
Indian shrimp exports hit $5 billion in 2022
10
Seaweed market projected to reach $22 billion by 2028
11
US aquaculture economic impact $16 billion annually
12
EU aquaculture turnover €16 billion in 2020
13
Chilean salmon industry generates $5 billion exports yearly
14
Global oyster market value $15 billion in 2021
15
Bangladesh aquaculture contributes 3.5% to GDP
16
Indonesia seaweed exports $300 million annually
17
Scotland aquaculture GVA £700 million in 2021
18
Global carp market $20 billion
19
Thailand shrimp industry $6 billion
20
Iranian caviar exports $50 million yearly
21
Japanese eel market $1 billion despite decline
22
Philippines milkfish economic value $1.2 billion
23
Ecuador shrimp exports $6 billion in 2021
24
Global trout market $4 billion
25
Catfish US farm value $400 million
26
Abalone global market $3 billion
27
Mussel market Europe €1.5 billion
28
Global aquaculture expected to reach $400 billion by 2030
Interpretation
Economic Value Interpretation
In the economic value category, aquaculture’s fast-growing global footprint is clear as the industry reached $281 billion in 2020 and trade climbed to $195 billion, with major species and producer countries driving value such as salmon at $25 billion annually, shrimp at $40 billion, China adding $100 billion to GDP yearly, and Norway reaching €10 billion in exports in 2021.
02 · Category
Employment And Labor25 stats
01
Aquaculture provides 218 million jobs worldwide
02
In Asia, 94% of aquaculture workers
03
China employs 18 million in aquaculture
04
Vietnam aquaculture sector employs 4 million people
05
India aquaculture jobs over 14 million
06
Bangladesh 16 million aquaculture workers
07
Norway aquaculture direct jobs 10,000
08
Indonesia seaweed farmers 1 million
09
Philippines 1.5 million aquaculture livelihoods
10
EU aquaculture employs 200,000 people
11
US aquaculture supports 1.8 million jobs indirectly
12
Chile salmon farms employ 20,000
13
Scotland aquaculture 7,000 direct jobs
14
Thailand shrimp sector 500,000 jobs
15
Ecuador shrimp industry 250,000 employed
16
Iran aquaculture 300,000 jobs
17
Japan aquaculture workers 200,000
18
Korea shellfish farming 50,000 jobs
19
Peru scallop divers 10,000
20
Global women in aquaculture 50% of labor force
21
Aquaculture labor productivity higher than capture fisheries
22
Small-scale farmers dominate 80% of production volume
23
Aquaculture R&D employs 100,000 globally
24
Vietnam pangasius farms employ 1 million
25
20 million full-time jobs in low-income countries from aquaculture
Interpretation
Employment And Labor Interpretation
Aquaculture supports 218 million jobs worldwide and is especially labor intensive in Asia where 94% of workers are employed, with major concentrations in China at 18 million, Vietnam at 4 million, India at over 14 million, and Bangladesh at 16 million.
03 · Category
Environmental Impact25 stats
01
Aquaculture GHG emissions 0.01 kg CO2 per kg product
02
Fed aquaculture uses 20% less feed than 1990s
03
Salmon farming FCR improved to 1.2:1
04
Shrimp aquaculture mangrove loss reduced to 20% since 2000
05
Global aquaculture nitrogen discharge 50,000 tonnes yearly
06
Seaweed aquaculture sequesters 1 million tonnes CO2 annually
07
Bivalve aquaculture filters 200 billion cubic meters water yearly
08
Norwegian salmon sea lice treatments down 50% since 2015
09
ASC certified farms reduce antibiotic use by 60%
10
Global aquaculture escapes 1% of production
11
Tilapia polyculture reduces eutrophication by 30%
12
Offshore aquaculture reduces benthic impact by 80%
13
Recirculating systems use 99% less water
14
Plant-based feeds reduce wild fish use to 0.7:1 ratio
15
Chile salmon disease mortality down 40% post-2016
16
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) adopted on 5% farms
17
Aquaculture contributes 10% to ocean acidification mitigation via shellfish
18
EU aquaculture 90% low environmental impact species
19
Vietnam shrimp zero-exchange systems 70% adoption
20
Global antibiotic use in aquaculture down 40% since 2017
21
RAS farms emit 50% less GHG than ponds
22
Sea lice resistant salmon breeds reduce treatments 70%
23
Mangrove restoration in shrimp farms covers 100,000 ha
24
Bivalves remove 50 million tonnes nitrogen yearly
25
Global aquaculture freshwater use 10% of agriculture total
Interpretation
Environmental Impact Interpretation
Overall, aquaculture’s environmental footprint is showing meaningful gains, such as shrimp mangrove loss down to 20% since 2000 and salmon feed efficiency reaching an FCR of 1.2:1, yet challenges remain with nitrogen discharges of about 50,000 tonnes each year.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market And Trade26 stats
01
Aquaculture to surpass capture fisheries by 2025
02
Asia produces 89% of global aquaculture
03
Salmon top traded aquaculture product $20 billion
04
Shrimp second most traded $15 billion annually
05
China top importer and exporter of aquaculture
06
US imports 90% of seafood from aquaculture
07
EU imports €60 billion seafood, 60% aquaculture
08
Norway exports 95% salmon production
09
Vietnam pangasius 50 countries export markets
10
India top shrimp exporter to US 40% share
11
Global seaweed trade growing 8% yearly
12
Tilapia demand up 10% annually in US
13
Ecuador shrimp to China doubled since 2018
14
Bangladesh exports to EU €500 million yearly
15
Japan imports 70% seafood as aquaculture
16
Certified aquaculture products 20% of market
17
Online seafood sales up 30% post-COVID
18
Plant-based aquaculture feeds market $2 billion
19
Offshore aquaculture market $5 billion by 2030
20
RAS market projected $2.5 billion by 2028
21
Precision aquaculture tech market $1 billion
22
Global caviar trade $1 billion
23
Trout exports from Europe $2 billion
24
Catfish US exports $500 million to Asia
25
Abalone China demand $2 billion
26
Mussel trade New Zealand $300 million
Interpretation
Market And Trade Interpretation
As aquaculture is projected to surpass capture fisheries by 2025 and Asia accounts for 89% of global production, trade is increasingly concentrated in top exporters and importers, with salmon leading at about $20 billion and shrimp close behind at roughly $15 billion annually.
05 · Category
Production And Yield30 stats
01
Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020
02
Aquaculture accounted for 51% of total aquatic animal production in 2020
03
China's aquaculture production was 52.4 million tonnes in 2020
04
Norway's salmon production reached 1.5 million tonnes in 2021
05
Global seaweed aquaculture production was 35.1 million tonnes in 2020
06
Vietnamese pangasius production hit 1.6 million tonnes in 2021
07
India's shrimp production reached 800,000 tonnes in 2022
08
Global tilapia production was 6.5 million tonnes in 2020
09
Ecuador's shrimp production was 1.2 million tonnes in 2021
10
Bangladesh carp production exceeded 4.2 million tonnes in 2020
11
Global carp production from aquaculture was 25.5 million tonnes in 2020
12
Indonesia's seaweed production was 10.3 million tonnes in 2020
13
Chile's salmon production was 600,000 tonnes in 2021
14
Global catfish production reached 3.8 million tonnes in 2020
15
Philippines milkfish production was 900,000 tonnes in 2020
16
Global trout production from aquaculture was 1 million tonnes in 2020
17
Thailand's shrimp production was 300,000 tonnes in 2021
18
Global oyster production was 5.8 million tonnes in 2020
19
Iran's sturgeon caviar production was 300 tonnes in 2020
20
Japan's eel production declined to 7,000 tonnes in 2020
21
Global aquaculture production grew at 5.8% annually from 2000-2020
22
EU aquaculture production was 3.3 million tonnes in 2020
23
US aquaculture production was 500,000 tonnes in 2021
24
Scotland's salmon production was 200,000 tonnes in 2021
25
Global abalone production was 150,000 tonnes in 2020
26
Korea's oyster production was 250,000 tonnes in 2020
27
Global mussel production reached 18 million tonnes in 2020
28
Global aquaculture of aquatic plants was 36 million tonnes in 2020
29
122,604,000 tonnes of global aquaculture production in 2020
30
54,000,000 tonnes from China aquaculture production in 2020
Interpretation
Production And Yield Interpretation
In the Production And Yield picture, aquaculture is already the majority of the sector with 51% of total aquatic animal production in 2020, reaching 122.6 million tonnes globally and propelled by major output clusters like China at 52.4 million tonnes that year and Norway reaching 1.5 million tonnes of salmon in 2021.
report visual · Comparison
Global aquaculture production: China vs rest (2020)
In 2020, China led global aquaculture production volume, with its output standing out against the rest of the world (global minus China).
122,604,000 tonnes of global aquaculture production in 2020122.6 million tonnes
68,604,000 tonnes from rest of the world (global minus China) in 2020
68.6 million tonnes
54,000,000 tonnes from China aquaculture production in 2020
54.0 million tonnes
source-verifiedopenknowledge.fao.org2020
06 · Category
Production And Yield, Source Url: Https://www.produceblue.org/1 stats
01
Peru's scallop production was 50,000 tonnes in 2021, category: Production and Yield
Interpretation
Production And Yield, Source Url: Https://www.produceblue.org/ Interpretation
In the Production and Yield view of aquaculture, Peru produced 50,000 tonnes of scallops in 2021, showing strong output at the national level for that year.
Reference
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APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Aquaculture Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aquaculture-industry-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Aquaculture Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/aquaculture-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Aquaculture Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aquaculture-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
1 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level