Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Zambia
Zambia: Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture was 88,950 metric tons in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 88,950 metric tons, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.1% on the previous year and up 361.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Zambia peaked at 88,950 metric tons in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 metric tons, in 1960.
That places Zambia 44th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Zambia, 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 | 3 metric tons | — |
| 1978 | 8 metric tons | +166.7% |
| 1979 | 15 metric tons | +87.5% |
| 1980 | 27 metric tons | +80.0% |
| 1981 | 45 metric tons | +66.7% |
| 1982 | 72 metric tons | +60.0% |
| 1983 | 202 metric tons | +180.6% |
| 1984 | 340 metric tons | +68.3% |
| 1985 | 363 metric tons | +6.8% |
| 1986 | 695 metric tons | +91.5% |
| 1987 | 1,091 metric tons | +57.0% |
| 1988 | 1,147 metric tons | +5.1% |
| 1989 | 1,180 metric tons | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 1,460 metric tons | +23.7% |
| 1991 | 2,470 metric tons | +69.2% |
| 1992 | 3,700 metric tons | +49.8% |
| 1993 | 4,655 metric tons | +25.8% |
| 1994 | 4,530 metric tons | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 4,081 metric tons | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 4,770 metric tons | +16.9% |
| 1997 | 4,718 metric tons | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 4,159 metric tons | -11.8% |
| 1999 | 4,180 metric tons | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 4,240 metric tons | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 4,520 metric tons | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 4,630 metric tons | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 4,501 metric tons | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 5,125 metric tons | +13.9% |
| 2005 | 5,125 metric tons | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5,210 metric tons | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 5,876 metric tons | +12.8% |
| 2008 | 5,640 metric tons | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 8,505 metric tons | +50.8% |
| 2010 | 10,290 metric tons | +21.0% |
| 2011 | 10,530 metric tons | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 12,988 metric tons | +23.3% |
| 2013 | 20,271 metric tons | +56.1% |
| 2014 | 19,281 metric tons | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 22,754 metric tons | +18.0% |
| 2016 | 21,600 metric tons | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 21,567 metric tons | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 29,565 metric tons | +37.1% |
| 2019 | 38,480 metric tons | +30.2% |
| 2020 | 45,670 metric tons | +18.7% |
| 2021 | 63,355 metric tons | +38.7% |
| 2022 | 75,648 metric tons | +19.4% |
| 2023 | 81,550 metric tons | +7.8% |
| 2024 | 88,950 metric tons | +9.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 88,950 metric tons is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,636 metric tons, 9.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 88,950 metric tons is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,824 metric tons, 48.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +180.6% | 72 metric tons | 202 metric tons |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.6 metric tons | 0 metric tons | 15 metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 516.2 metric tons | 27 metric tons | 1,180 metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,872 metric tons | 1,460 metric tons | 4,770 metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,337 metric tons | 4,240 metric tons | 8,505 metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 20,733 metric tons | 10,290 metric tons | 38,480 metric tons | 10 |
| 2020s | 71,035 metric tons | 45,670 metric tons | 88,950 metric tons | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Zambia?
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture in Zambia was 88,950 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 88,950 metric tons in 2024.
- What is the lowest seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 metric tons in 1960.
- How does Zambia rank for seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture?
- Zambia ranks 44th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 361.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.