Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in South Korea
South Korea: Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture was 2.28 million metric tons in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in South Korea, 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
South Korea recorded 2.28 million metric tons for seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and up 45.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in South Korea peaked at 2.44 million metric tons in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17,404 metric tons, in 1961.
South Korea ranks 6th of 215 countries on this measure, 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 South Korea, year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 18,637 metric tons | — |
| 1961 | 17,404 metric tons | -6.6% |
| 1962 | 23,901 metric tons | +37.3% |
| 1963 | 80,479 metric tons | +236.7% |
| 1964 | 72,557 metric tons | -9.8% |
| 1965 | 73,350 metric tons | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 91,626 metric tons | +24.9% |
| 1967 | 96,450 metric tons | +5.3% |
| 1968 | 105,769 metric tons | +9.7% |
| 1969 | 80,605 metric tons | -23.8% |
| 1970 | 124,058 metric tons | +53.9% |
| 1971 | 151,885 metric tons | +22.4% |
| 1972 | 163,955 metric tons | +7.9% |
| 1973 | 265,546 metric tons | +62.0% |
| 1974 | 343,865 metric tons | +29.5% |
| 1975 | 352,495 metric tons | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 412,663 metric tons | +17.1% |
| 1977 | 493,461 metric tons | +19.6% |
| 1978 | 395,177 metric tons | -19.9% |
| 1979 | 484,844 metric tons | +22.7% |
| 1980 | 545,133 metric tons | +12.4% |
| 1981 | 704,890 metric tons | +29.3% |
| 1982 | 603,311 metric tons | -14.4% |
| 1983 | 645,426 metric tons | +7.0% |
| 1984 | 679,342 metric tons | +5.3% |
| 1985 | 790,769 metric tons | +16.4% |
| 1986 | 952,388 metric tons | +20.4% |
| 1987 | 875,568 metric tons | -8.1% |
| 1988 | 898,649 metric tons | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 858,573 metric tons | -4.5% |
| 1990 | 788,565 metric tons | -8.2% |
| 1991 | 787,977 metric tons | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 955,477 metric tons | +21.3% |
| 1993 | 1.06 million metric tons | +10.6% |
| 1994 | 1.09 million metric tons | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 1.02 million metric tons | -6.9% |
| 1996 | 897,041 metric tons | -11.8% |
| 1997 | 1.04 million metric tons | +16.0% |
| 1998 | 796,632 metric tons | -23.4% |
| 1999 | 777,711 metric tons | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 667,883 metric tons | -14.1% |
| 2001 | 668,022 metric tons | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 794,340 metric tons | +18.9% |
| 2003 | 839,845 metric tons | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 952,856 metric tons | +13.5% |
| 2005 | 1.06 million metric tons | +11.0% |
| 2006 | 1.28 million metric tons | +20.9% |
| 2007 | 1.40 million metric tons | +9.4% |
| 2008 | 1.39 million metric tons | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 1.33 million metric tons | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 1.38 million metric tons | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 1.50 million metric tons | +8.9% |
| 2012 | 1.51 million metric tons | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 1.53 million metric tons | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 1.57 million metric tons | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 1.68 million metric tons | +7.0% |
| 2016 | 1.86 million metric tons | +10.9% |
| 2017 | 2.33 million metric tons | +25.6% |
| 2018 | 2.28 million metric tons | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 2.40 million metric tons | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 2.33 million metric tons | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.44 million metric tons | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 2.31 million metric tons | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 2.32 million metric tons | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 2.28 million metric tons | -1.7% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 2.28 million metric tons is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,445 metric tons, 933.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 2.28 million metric tons is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,310 metric tons, 1741.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +236.7% | 23,901 metric tons | 80,479 metric tons |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 66,078 metric tons | 17,404 metric tons | 105,769 metric tons | 10 |
| 1970s | 318,795 metric tons | 124,058 metric tons | 493,461 metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 755,405 metric tons | 545,133 metric tons | 952,388 metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 921,035 metric tons | 777,711 metric tons | 1.09 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.04 million metric tons | 667,883 metric tons | 1.40 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.80 million metric tons | 1.38 million metric tons | 2.40 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.34 million metric tons | 2.28 million metric tons | 2.44 million metric tons | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in South Korea?
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in South Korea was 2.28 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.44 million metric tons in 2021.
- What is the lowest seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,404 metric tons in 1961.
- How does South Korea rank for seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture?
- South Korea ranks 6th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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.