Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture was 161,883 metric tons in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia, 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
In 2024, seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia stood at 161,883 metric tons. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 15.4% on the previous year and up 577.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia peaked at 161,883 metric tons in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 metric tons, in 1960.
Saudi Arabia ranks 30th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1961 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1962 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1963 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1964 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1965 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1966 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1967 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1968 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1969 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1970 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1971 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1972 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1973 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1974 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1975 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1976 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1977 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1978 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1979 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1980 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1981 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1982 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1983 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1984 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1985 | 0 metric tons | — |
| 1986 | 28 metric tons | — |
| 1987 | 140 metric tons | +400.0% |
| 1988 | 331 metric tons | +136.4% |
| 1989 | 1,240 metric tons | +274.6% |
| 1990 | 1,988 metric tons | +60.3% |
| 1991 | 2,153 metric tons | +8.3% |
| 1992 | 2,380 metric tons | +10.5% |
| 1993 | 2,503 metric tons | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 2,235 metric tons | -10.7% |
| 1995 | 2,696 metric tons | +20.6% |
| 1996 | 3,835 metric tons | +42.2% |
| 1997 | 4,690 metric tons | +22.3% |
| 1998 | 5,101 metric tons | +8.8% |
| 1999 | 5,620 metric tons | +10.2% |
| 2000 | 6,004 metric tons | +6.8% |
| 2001 | 8,218 metric tons | +36.9% |
| 2002 | 6,744 metric tons | -17.9% |
| 2003 | 11,824 metric tons | +75.3% |
| 2004 | 11,172 metric tons | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 14,375 metric tons | +28.7% |
| 2006 | 15,586 metric tons | +8.4% |
| 2007 | 18,410 metric tons | +18.1% |
| 2008 | 22,340 metric tons | +21.3% |
| 2009 | 26,442 metric tons | +18.4% |
| 2010 | 26,374 metric tons | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 16,076 metric tons | -39.0% |
| 2012 | 12,737 metric tons | -20.8% |
| 2013 | 9,266 metric tons | -27.3% |
| 2014 | 23,880 metric tons | +157.7% |
| 2015 | 30,000 metric tons | +25.6% |
| 2016 | 39,945 metric tons | +33.1% |
| 2017 | 55,025 metric tons | +37.8% |
| 2018 | 72,025 metric tons | +30.9% |
| 2019 | 75,563 metric tons | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 99,907 metric tons | +32.2% |
| 2021 | 114,490 metric tons | +14.6% |
| 2022 | 119,845 metric tons | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 140,227 metric tons | +17.0% |
| 2024 | 161,883 metric tons | +15.4% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 161,883 metric tons is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,445 metric tons, 66.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 161,883 metric tons is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5,171 metric tons, 31.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +400.0% | 28 metric tons | 140 metric tons |
| 1989 | +274.6% | 331 metric tons | 1,240 metric tons |
| 2014 | +157.7% | 9,266 metric tons | 23,880 metric tons |
| 1988 | +136.4% | 140 metric tons | 331 metric tons |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 173.9 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 1,240 metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,320 metric tons | 1,988 metric tons | 5,620 metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,112 metric tons | 6,004 metric tons | 26,442 metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 36,089 metric tons | 9,266 metric tons | 75,563 metric tons | 10 |
| 2020s | 127,270 metric tons | 99,907 metric tons | 161,883 metric tons | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia?
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Saudi Arabia was 161,883 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 161,883 metric tons in 2024.
- What is the lowest seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 metric tons in 1960.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 30th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 577.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.