Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in China
China: Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture was 81.95 million metric tons in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
81.95 million metric tons
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
1st
of 215 countries
All-time high
81.95 million metric tons
in 2024
All-time low
741,121 metric tons
in 1962
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in China, 1960–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in metric tons.
Analysis
The most recent figure for seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in China is 81.95 million metric tons, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 43.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in China peaked at 81.95 million metric tons in 2024 and was at its lowest, 741,121 metric tons, in 1962.
That places China 1st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in China, year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 958,506 metric tons | — |
| 1961 | 777,762 metric tons | -18.9% |
| 1962 | 741,121 metric tons | -4.7% |
| 1963 | 856,931 metric tons | +15.6% |
| 1964 | 1.02 million metric tons | +18.7% |
| 1965 | 1.16 million metric tons | +14.0% |
| 1966 | 1.32 million metric tons | +13.9% |
| 1967 | 1.32 million metric tons | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 1.31 million metric tons | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 1.51 million metric tons | +15.9% |
| 1970 | 1.48 million metric tons | -2.2% |
| 1971 | 1.79 million metric tons | +21.0% |
| 1972 | 1.99 million metric tons | +11.0% |
| 1973 | 1.82 million metric tons | -8.3% |
| 1974 | 1.98 million metric tons | +8.3% |
| 1975 | 2.16 million metric tons | +9.2% |
| 1976 | 2.11 million metric tons | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 2.79 million metric tons | +32.4% |
| 1978 | 2.99 million metric tons | +7.1% |
| 1979 | 2.90 million metric tons | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 3.11 million metric tons | +7.0% |
| 1981 | 3.03 million metric tons | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 3.26 million metric tons | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 3.66 million metric tons | +12.3% |
| 1984 | 4.27 million metric tons | +16.8% |
| 1985 | 5.03 million metric tons | +17.7% |
| 1986 | 5.61 million metric tons | +11.5% |
| 1987 | 6.33 million metric tons | +12.8% |
| 1988 | 7.38 million metric tons | +16.6% |
| 1989 | 8.10 million metric tons | +9.8% |
| 1990 | 8.39 million metric tons | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 9.70 million metric tons | +15.5% |
| 1992 | 12.19 million metric tons | +25.7% |
| 1993 | 15.22 million metric tons | +24.9% |
| 1994 | 18.21 million metric tons | +19.7% |
| 1995 | 21.15 million metric tons | +16.1% |
| 1996 | 23.47 million metric tons | +10.9% |
| 1997 | 23.75 million metric tons | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 25.67 million metric tons | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 28.00 million metric tons | +9.1% |
| 2000 | 29.75 million metric tons | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 31.10 million metric tons | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 33.16 million metric tons | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 34.89 million metric tons | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 37.17 million metric tons | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 38.94 million metric tons | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 40.91 million metric tons | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 42.53 million metric tons | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 44.07 million metric tons | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 46.06 million metric tons | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 47.79 million metric tons | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 49.15 million metric tons | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 52.08 million metric tons | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 55.03 million metric tons | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 57.32 million metric tons | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 59.37 million metric tons | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 62.32 million metric tons | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 64.36 million metric tons | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 66.14 million metric tons | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 68.42 million metric tons | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 70.48 million metric tons | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 72.81 million metric tons | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 75.44 million metric tons | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 78.28 million metric tons | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 81.95 million metric tons | +4.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 81.95 million metric tons is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,803 metric tons, 14122.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 81.95 million metric tons is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,310 metric tons, 62557.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.10 million metric tons | 741,121 metric tons | 1.51 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.20 million metric tons | 1.48 million metric tons | 2.99 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.98 million metric tons | 3.03 million metric tons | 8.10 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.57 million metric tons | 8.39 million metric tons | 28.00 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.86 million metric tons | 29.75 million metric tons | 46.06 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.20 million metric tons | 47.79 million metric tons | 68.42 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.79 million metric tons | 70.48 million metric tons | 81.95 million metric tons | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in China?
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in China was 81.95 million metric tons in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 81.95 million metric tons in 2024.
- What is the lowest seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 741,121 metric tons in 1962.
- How does China rank for seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture?
- China ranks 1st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Capture fishery production is the volume of wild fish catches landed for all commercial, industrial, recreational and subsistence purposes.