Aquaculture now supplies more than 60% of the world's aquatic animal food. This shift from hunting to farming is detailed in global production and economic data.
Key Takeaways
- Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020, including 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals
- In 2020, global capture fisheries production reached 90.3 million tonnes, a slight decrease from previous years due to overfishing pressures in key regions, FAO
- Global fisheries and aquaculture contributed $406 billion to GDP in 2020
- In 2022, 54.4 million Americans aged 6 and older participated in fishing at least once, representing 17% of the population
- Global fish stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels reached 37.4% in 2020
Catch rates rose steadily this season, with anglers reporting more success across most popular fishing spots.
Related reading
01 · Category
Aquaculture Output26 stats
01
Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020, including 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals
02
China produced 60.1 million tonnes of aquatic products from aquaculture in 2021, 62% of global total
03
Norway's salmon aquaculture output was 1.4 million tonnes in 2022
04
Vietnam's aquaculture production hit 5.1 million tonnes in 2022, led by shrimp and pangasius
05
India's aquaculture output grew to 14.2 million tonnes in 2021-22, with carp dominant
06
Indonesia's seaweed aquaculture produced 11.6 million tonnes fresh weight in 2022
07
Bangladesh's freshwater aquaculture yielded 4.8 million tonnes in 2022, mainly carp and tilapia
08
Chile's Atlantic salmon production was 600,000 tonnes in 2022
09
Thailand's shrimp aquaculture output was 320,000 tonnes in 2022
10
Egypt's aquaculture production reached 2.5 million tonnes in 2022, dominated by tilapia
11
US catfish aquaculture produced 140,000 tonnes in 2022
12
Iran's trout production from aquaculture was 180,000 tonnes in 2022
13
Philippines' tilapia aquaculture output was 150,000 tonnes in 2022
14
Ecuador's shrimp farms produced 1.2 million tonnes in 2022
15
Scotland's salmon farms yielded 170,000 tonnes in 2022
16
Greece's sea bream and sea bass production was 50,000 tonnes in 2022
17
Turkey's trout aquaculture hit 500,000 tonnes in 2022
18
Malaysia's aquaculture output was 500,000 tonnes in 2022, including groupers
19
Myanmar's freshwater aquaculture produced 700,000 tonnes in 2022
20
Nigeria's catfish farms output reached 300,000 tonnes in 2022
21
Denmark's rainbow trout production was 30,000 tonnes in 2022
22
Canada farmed 170,000 tonnes of salmon in 2022
23
Australia's tuna ranching processed 5,000 tonnes in 2022
24
Netherlands' mussel production was 60,000 tonnes in 2022
25
Japan's eel aquaculture yielded 7,000 tonnes in 2022
26
Peru's trout farms produced 45,000 tonnes in 2022
Interpretation
Aquaculture Output Interpretation
While China practically cornered the aquaculture pond by producing nearly two-thirds of its animal share, a host of nations—from Norway’s salmon riches to Vietnam’s shrimp surge and Bangladesh’s carp-filled waters—are proving we’re no longer just hunting the seas but farming them with staggering, and sometimes eyebrow-raising, efficiency.
02 · Category
Commercial Fishing Production30 stats
01
In 2020, global capture fisheries production reached 90.3 million tonnes, a slight decrease from previous years due to overfishing pressures in key regions, FAO
02
The United States commercial fishing industry landed 4.8 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2022, valued at $5.9 billion at the dock
03
China's capture fisheries production in 2021 was approximately 15.5 million tonnes, accounting for 17% of global total
04
In the European Union, the total allowable catch (TAC) for Atlantic herring in 2023 was set at 142,000 tonnes by the EU fisheries council
05
Alaska pollock landings in 2022 totaled 2.8 million metric tons, making it the largest single-species fishery in the US
06
Global tuna catch exceeded 5 million tonnes annually since 2018, with skipjack tuna comprising 60% of that volume
07
Norway's cod fishery in the Barents Sea yielded 1.2 million tonnes in the 2022/2023 season
08
Shrimp landings in the Gulf of Mexico reached 250 million pounds in 2021, valued at over $600 million
09
Peru's anchovita fishery produced 2.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2023
10
Iceland's demersal fish catch was 1.1 million tonnes in 2022, with haddock leading at 250,000 tonnes
11
Russia's Pacific salmon catch in 2022 was 450,000 tonnes, primarily pink and chum species
12
Japan's distant water squid jigging fleet caught 300,000 tonnes of flying squid in 2021
13
Vietnam's marine capture production hit 4.2 million tonnes in 2022, driven by small-scale fisheries
14
South Africa's hake trawl fishery quota for 2023 was 145,000 tonnes
15
Morocco's sardine catch reached 900,000 tonnes in 2022 despite stock fluctuations
16
Chile's jack mackerel fishery produced 1.4 million tonnes in 2022
17
Thailand's marine fish catch was 1.8 million tonnes in 2021
18
Indonesia's tuna catch exceeded 1 million tonnes in 2022
19
India's marine landings grew to 4.8 million tonnes in 2021-22
20
Australia's southern bluefin tuna TAC was 5,265 tonnes for 2022/23 season
21
New Zealand's hoki fishery quota was 100,000 tonnes for 2023
22
Canada's Atlantic groundfish landings were 400,000 tonnes in 2022
23
Mexico's shrimp production from capture was 200,000 tonnes in 2022
24
Ecuador's tuna purse seine catch was 500,000 tonnes in 2022
25
Greenland's shrimp catch totaled 120,000 tonnes in 2022
26
Spain's cephalopod landings were 150,000 tonnes in 2022
27
Denmark's industrial pelagic fishery caught 1.5 million tonnes in 2022
28
Faroe Islands' blue whiting quota was 300,000 tonnes for 2023
29
Senegalese cephalopod exports derived from 80,000 tonnes catch in 2022
30
Namibia's horse mackerel purse seine landed 400,000 tonnes in 2022
Interpretation
Commercial Fishing Production Interpretation
The oceans are giving us a staggering global buffet of over 90 million tonnes a year, but the frantic pace at which we're filling our plates—from Peru's anchovies to Alaska's pollock—hints that the kitchen is starting to run low on some of the most popular dishes.
03 · Category
Economic Contributions23 stats
01
Global fisheries and aquaculture contributed $406 billion to GDP in 2020
02
US recreational fishing generated $141 billion in economic output in 2022, supporting 1.8 million jobs
03
Commercial fishing in the US contributed $77 billion to GDP in 2022
04
Aquaculture sector employed 21.9 million people globally in 2020
05
Norway's seafood industry exports reached €17 billion in 2022
06
China's fisheries GDP contribution was 1.2% of national GDP in 2021
07
EU fisheries and aquaculture turnover was €28 billion in 2021, employing 135,000 fishers
08
Vietnam's aquaculture exports hit $2.7 billion in 2022
09
India's seafood exports reached $7.8 billion in 2021-22
10
Alaska's fishing industry generated $5.8 billion in income in 2022
11
Japan's seafood imports totaled $15 billion in 2022
12
Global seafood trade value was $165 billion in 2020
13
UK seafood industry contributed £4.2 billion to economy in 2022
14
Chile's salmon exports were $6.2 billion in 2022
15
Thailand's fisheries exports reached $6.9 billion in 2022
16
Ecuador's shrimp exports totaled $6.7 billion in 2022
17
Indonesia's fisheries exports were $5.1 billion in 2022
18
Canada's seafood exports hit CAD 9.5 billion in 2022
19
South Korea's seafood consumption expenditure was $20 billion in 2022
20
Australia's fisheries production value was AUD 3.2 billion in 2021-22
21
Peru's fishmeal exports from anchoveta were $2.1 billion in 2022
22
Morocco's seafood exports reached €2.3 billion in 2022
23
Denmark's seafood exports were DKK 50 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Economic Contributions Interpretation
While the world casts its nets and lines across the globe—from Norway's salmon runs to Vietnam's shrimp ponds—it's clear this isn't just about fish; it's a multi-hundred-billion-dollar economic engine that puts food on the table and millions to work, proving that humanity's oldest harvest is still a modern financial powerhouse.
More related reading
04 · Category
Recreational Fishing Participation27 stats
01
In 2022, 54.4 million Americans aged 6 and older participated in fishing at least once, representing 17% of the population
02
The number of paid fishing license holders in the US reached 28 million in 2022
03
Freshwater fishing accounted for 86% of all recreational fishing trips in the US in 2022, totaling 452 million trips
04
Women made up 24% of freshwater anglers in the US in 2022, up from 20% in 2016
05
Youth participation (ages 6-17) in US fishing was 7.3 million anglers in 2022
06
Saltwater fishing trips in the US totaled 141 million in 2022, with Florida leading at 24 million trips
07
Average annual fishing expenditures per US angler were $1,500in 2022
08
40% of US anglers fished in private ponds or lakes in 2022
09
Black or African American participation in fishing rose to 10% of US anglers in 2022 from 8% in 2017
10
Hispanic/Latino anglers comprised 17% of US fishing participants in 2022
11
In the UK, 4.1 million people went coarse fishing in 2022
12
Australia's recreational fishing participation was 4.4 million people (17% of population) in 2022-23
13
In Canada, 3.6 million people fished recreationally in 2022, representing 11% of population
14
Japan's recreational fishing market saw 15 million participants in 2022
15
France had 2.5 million licensed recreational anglers in 2022
16
Germany's freshwater angling licenses totaled 1.2 million in 2022
17
Italy's sport fishing federation reported 800,000 members in 2022
18
Brazil's recreational fishing events numbered over 1,000 annually, with 2 million participants estimated in 2022
19
South Africa's recreational linefish catch was estimated at 25,000 tonnes in 2022
20
New Zealand had 700,000 recreational fishers in 2022, catching 40,000 tonnes
21
Sweden's ice fishing participants reached 500,000 in winter 2022
22
Poland's carp angling during holidays saw 1 million participants in 2022
23
Netherlands had 1.5 million recreational anglers in 2022
24
Finland's angling license sales were 1.8 million in 2022
25
Norway's recreational salmon fishing caught 300 tonnes in 2022, with 50,000 participants
26
Ireland's coarse angling grew to 200,000 participants in 2022
27
Spain's recreational sea angling estimated at 1 million fishers in 2022
Interpretation
Recreational Fishing Participation Interpretation
It seems America is quietly leading a global, gender-diverse, and surprisingly well-funded aquatic rebellion, where over 54 million people are proving that fishing is far from a niche pastime by quietly bankrolling a $1,500-per-head pursuit of peace and pond bass.
05 · Category
Sustainability and Conservation26 stats
01
Global fish stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels reached 37.4% in 2020
02
64.6% of assessed fish stocks were fished within sustainable levels in 2020 globally
03
Marine protected areas covering fisheries expanded to 8.4% of oceans by 2022
04
Over 35% of global shark and ray populations are now threatened with extinction as of 2023
05
US National Marine Fisheries Service rebuilt 50 fish stocks since 2000, with 41 sustainable in 2022
06
EU landing obligation reduced discards by 40% in demersal fisheries by 2022
07
By-catch in global tuna fisheries accounts for 20-30% of total catch
08
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing represents up to 26% of global catch value
09
Coral reef fish stocks are depleted in 37% of assessed reefs worldwide
10
Plastic pollution affects 88% of surface ocean waters, impacting fish populations
11
Climate change is projected to reduce fish catch potential by 3 million tonnes per year by 2050
12
Norway's cod stock biomass exceeded 1.5 million tonnes in 2023, above sustainable levels
13
90% of large predatory fish populations depleted compared to virgin biomass globally
14
Aquaculture now supplies 51% of fish for human consumption, reducing wild capture pressure
15
Bycatch of sea turtles in shrimp trawls reduced 99% with TEDs in US since 1990s
16
Global fisheries subsidies total $35 billion annually, 22% capacity-enhancing
17
30% of Mediterranean fish stocks overexploited as of 2022
18
Pacific bluefin tuna stock increased 10-fold since 2010 due to management
19
Microplastics found in 73% of fish sampled from global markets
20
Acidification projected to decrease shellfish calcification by 40% by 2100
21
78 million tonnes of nitrogen pollution from aquaculture globally per year
22
US recreational release mortality estimated at 10-15% for billfish species
23
West African small pelagics stocks declined 50% since 2012 due to overfishing
24
100% traceability achieved in EU seafood imports via catch certificates
25
Global ghost fishing from lost gear kills 640,000 whales/seals yearly estimate
26
41% of assessed chondrichthyans (sharks/rays) threatened globally in 2023
Interpretation
Sustainability and Conservation Interpretation
Our oceans are like a poorly run buffet where over a third of the dishes are being grabbed faster than they can be replenished, yet we’re still arguing over who gets the last fork while half the guests are already getting sick.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Fishing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fishing-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Fishing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/fishing-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Fishing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fishing-statistics.
Sources & references
81 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level