Aquaculture now supplies over half the world's fish. Its annual production of 122.6 million tonnes is valued at more than 280 billion dollars. This growth is challenged by feed costs consuming up to 70 percent of expenses and significant environmental impacts.
Key Takeaways
- Global aquaculture market size valued at USD 264.1 billion in 2022
- Aquaculture market projected to grow at CAGR 5.8% from 2023-2030
- Salmon was the highest valued aquaculture species at USD 25 billion in 2020
- Aquaculture nitrogen discharge estimated at 5.3 million tonnes annually
- Global aquaculture uses 0.7% of total freshwater withdrawals
- Phosphorus emissions from aquaculture total 0.8 million tonnes per year
- Global aquaculture production in 2020 reached 122.6 million tonnes, accounting for 51% of total fisheries and aquaculture production
- Aquaculture contributed 87.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2020, excluding aquatic plants
- Annual growth rate of aquaculture production from 2010-2020 averaged 5.5%, compared to 0.5% for capture fisheries
- China led with 62.5 million tonnes of aquaculture production in 2020
- India produced 8.9 million tonnes from aquaculture in 2020
- Bangladesh aquaculture output was 4.8 million tonnes in 2020
- Atlantic salmon is the top farmed species with 2.6 million tonnes in 2020
- Tilapia production reached 6.4 million tonnes globally in 2020
- Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farmed 5.2 million tonnes in 2020
Global aquaculture reached USD 281.5 billion in 2020 and is set to grow steadily through 2030.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic and Market Statistics21 stats
01
Global aquaculture market size valued at USD 264.1 billion in 2022
02
Aquaculture market projected to grow at CAGR 5.8% from 2023-2030
03
Salmon was the highest valued aquaculture species at USD 25 billion in 2020
04
Shrimp aquaculture generated USD 40 billion in trade value in 2020
05
Global trade in aquaculture products exceeded USD 190 billion in 2020
06
Aquaculture contributed 3.3% to total GDP in leading countries like Norway
07
Employment in aquaculture generated USD 100 billion in wages globally in 2020
08
Feed costs represent 50-70% of total production costs in fed aquaculture
09
Price of farmed Atlantic salmon averaged USD 7.5/kg in 2020
10
Tilapia farm-gate price was USD 2.5/kg on average in 2020
11
Global pangasius exports reached USD 1.8 billion from Vietnam in 2020
12
Aquaculture insurance market valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2022
13
Investment in aquaculture reached USD 15 billion annually pre-2020
14
China aquaculture industry worth USD 150 billion in 2020
15
Export value of Norwegian aquaculture was NOK 106 billion in 2020
16
US aquaculture sales totaled USD 1.5 billion in 2018
17
Feed market for aquaculture valued at USD 50 billion in 2022
18
Disease outbreaks cost aquaculture USD 6 billion annually worldwide
19
Carbon footprint of aquaculture feed production is 2.5 kg CO2e per kg feed
20
Profit margins in salmon farming averaged 20-25% in 2020
21
Global aquaculture equipment market size USD 12.5 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Economic and Market Statistics Interpretation
We've built a quarter-trillion-dollar industry from the water up, but with salmon kings swimming in cash, shrimp turning tides of trade, and feed costs devouring half the budget, our blue revolution is a high-stakes, high-reward bet on feeding the planet.
02 · Category
Environmental and Sustainability Metrics20 stats
01
Aquaculture nitrogen discharge estimated at 5.3 million tonnes annually
02
Global aquaculture uses 0.7% of total freshwater withdrawals
03
Phosphorus emissions from aquaculture total 0.8 million tonnes per year
04
Sea lice from salmon farms infect 30-50 million wild salmon annually in Norway
05
Mangrove loss due to shrimp farming totals 20-35% of total mangrove decline
06
Antibiotics use in aquaculture is 10,000 tonnes annually globally
07
Escaped farmed salmon in Pacific waters numbered 500,000 in 2017
08
GHG emissions from aquaculture total 0.49 billion tonnes CO2e per year
09
25% of global aquaculture production certified sustainable by ASC in 2022
10
Water use efficiency in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is 99% less than ponds
11
Organic aquaculture production grew 10% annually, reaching 0.5 million tonnes in 2020
12
Bivalve aquaculture sequesters 150 million tonnes CO2 annually
13
Eutrophication risk high in 52% of global aquaculture production areas
14
Plastic waste from aquaculture gear estimated at 10,000 tonnes yearly
15
Disease transfer from farms to wild stocks occurs in 40% of monitored cases
16
Energy use in aquaculture averages 15 GJ per tonne of fish produced
17
Sustainable feed innovations reduce fishmeal use by 50% in new formulations
18
Land footprint of aquaculture is 0.02% of agricultural land globally
19
Atlantic salmon genetic impact on wild populations up to 50% introgression in some rivers
20
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) reduces waste by 30-50%
Interpretation
Environmental and Sustainability Metrics Interpretation
Aquaculture's report card is a baffling mix of genuine progress and sobering consequences, proving we are simultaneously getting very clever about farming the sea while still making a spectacular mess of it.
03 · Category
Global Production Statistics30 stats
01
Global aquaculture production in 2020 reached 122.6 million tonnes, accounting for 51% of total fisheries and aquaculture production
02
Aquaculture contributed 87.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2020, excluding aquatic plants
03
Annual growth rate of aquaculture production from 2010-2020 averaged 5.5%, compared to 0.5% for capture fisheries
04
Asia accounted for 89% of global aquaculture production volume in 2020
05
Finfish represented 65% of aquaculture production by volume in 2020
06
Global aquaculture production value reached USD 281.5 billion in 2020
07
Crustaceans made up 12% of global aquaculture production by volume in 2020
08
Molluscs contributed 18% of total aquaculture production volume in 2020
09
Other aquatic animals accounted for 3% of aquaculture production in 2020
10
Seaweed production from aquaculture hit 35.1 million tonnes in 2020
11
Inland aquaculture production grew by 4.8% annually from 2000-2020
12
Marine aquaculture production increased to 31.4 million tonnes in 2020
13
Total aquaculture employment worldwide was 21.9 million in 2020
14
Aquaculture provided 59 kg per capita of aquatic foods in 2020 globally
15
Low and middle-income countries produced 93% of global aquaculture volume in 2020
16
Projected global aquaculture production to reach 102 million tonnes by 2030
17
Aquaculture growth rate expected at 4% per year until 2030
18
Share of aquaculture in total aquatic animal production rose from 26% in 2000 to 51% in 2020
19
Global farmed fish production exceeded 50 million tonnes in 2018 for the first time
20
Aquaculture production in 2018 was 82.1 million tonnes including aquatic plants
21
Finfish aquaculture production was 50.9 million tonnes in 2018
22
Crustacean aquaculture reached 12.4 million tonnes in 2018
23
Mollusc aquaculture production stood at 17.3 million tonnes in 2018
24
Seaweed aquaculture was 29.4 million tonnes in 2018
25
Global aquaculture value was USD 250 billion in 2018
26
Aquaculture employment reached 20.5 million full-time jobs in 2018
27
Per capita aquaculture supply grew to 20.5 kg in 2018
28
Asia produced 88.6% of global aquaculture in 2018
29
Inland aquaculture was 51.7 million tonnes in 2018
30
Marine aquaculture production was 30.4 million tonnes in 2018
Interpretation
Global Production Statistics Interpretation
While Asia quietly farms the seas to feed the world, aquaculture has officially tipped the scales, proving that the future of fish is no longer just about catching, but about cultivating.
More related reading
04 · Category
Regional Aquaculture Data25 stats
01
China led with 62.5 million tonnes of aquaculture production in 2020
02
India produced 8.9 million tonnes from aquaculture in 2020
03
Bangladesh aquaculture output was 4.8 million tonnes in 2020
04
Vietnam farmed 4.5 million tonnes in 2020
05
Indonesia aquaculture production reached 4.1 million tonnes in 2020
06
Norway produced 1.4 million tonnes mainly salmon in 2020
07
Chile farmed 1.2 million tonnes of salmonids in 2020
08
Egypt aquaculture output was 2.0 million tonnes in 2020
09
Myanmar produced 1.4 million tonnes in 2020
10
Philippines aquaculture was 1.8 million tonnes in 2020
11
European Union aquaculture production totaled 3.3 million tonnes in 2020
12
United States aquaculture output was 0.5 million tonnes in 2020
13
Africa aquaculture production reached 2.5 million tonnes in 2020
14
Latin America and Caribbean farmed 3.1 million tonnes in 2020
15
North America aquaculture was 0.7 million tonnes in 2020
16
Oceania produced 0.4 million tonnes from aquaculture in 2020
17
China's aquaculture production grew 2.4% from 2019 to 2020
18
India's aquaculture increased by 7.5% annually 2015-2020
19
Bangladesh carp production dominated with 80% of its aquaculture in 2020
20
Vietnam shrimp aquaculture exported USD 3.7 billion in 2020
21
Norway salmon production value was USD 12 billion in 2020
22
Chile salmon farms produced 800,000 tonnes in 2020 post-disease recovery
23
Egypt tilapia aquaculture reached 1.8 million tonnes in 2020
24
EU shellfish aquaculture was 1.2 million tonnes in 2020
25
US catfish production was 180,000 tonnes in 2020
Interpretation
Regional Aquaculture Data Interpretation
China dominates the aquatic stage with a staggering 62.5 million tonnes, making everyone else's impressive harvests look like a mere drop in a very large, Chinese-controlled ocean.
05 · Category
Species-Specific Statistics24 stats
01
Atlantic salmon is the top farmed species with 2.6 million tonnes in 2020
02
Tilapia production reached 6.4 million tonnes globally in 2020
03
Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farmed 5.2 million tonnes in 2020
04
Silver carp production was 4.7 million tonnes in China-dominated aquaculture
05
Grass carp farmed 5.3 million tonnes worldwide in 2020
06
Common carp production totaled 4.2 million tonnes in 2020
07
Rainbow trout aquaculture output 1.0 million tonnes in 2020
08
Pacific cupped oyster produced 5.0 million tonnes in 2020
09
Japanese carpet shell clam farmed 2.1 million tonnes in 2020
10
Giant tiger prawn production was 0.3 million tonnes in 2020
11
Nile tilapia accounts for 70% of global tilapia production
12
Milkfish production reached 0.9 million tonnes mainly in Asia
13
Catfish (Pangasius) farmed 1.6 million tonnes in 2020
14
Sea bass (European) production 0.3 million tonnes in 2020
15
Yellowtail farmed 0.2 million tonnes in Japan in 2020
16
Cobia production growing at 15% annually to 0.05 million tonnes
17
Abalone aquaculture 0.1 million tonnes globally in 2020
18
Seaweed species like Eucheuma produced 12 million tonnes in 2020
19
Gracilaria seaweed farmed 8 million tonnes in 2020
20
Pyropia (nori) production 2.5 million tonnes fresh weight in 2020
21
Salmon survival rates in farms average 85-90% in Norway
22
Shrimp farming FCR (feed conversion ratio) averages 1.2:1 for vannamei
23
Tilapia growth rate 1.5g/day in intensive systems
24
Carp polyculture yields 10-20 tonnes/ha/year in ponds
Interpretation
Species-Specific Statistics Interpretation
While the world obsesses over the silver and pink royalty of salmon and shrimp, the true aquatic workhorses are the humble carp and the unassuming but immensely productive seaweed, quietly forming the unsung, scalable backbone of global aquaculture.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Aquaculture Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aquaculture-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Aquaculture Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/aquaculture-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Aquaculture Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aquaculture-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level