Fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland
Greenland: Fish catch by fishing sector was 251,542 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland, 1958–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland is 251,542, measured in 2018.
The figure is down 2.7% on the previous year and up 27.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland peaked at 258,456 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 208.84, in 1968.
That places Greenland 47th out of 170 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 946.82 | — |
| 1968 | 208.84 | -77.9% |
| 1969 | 3,452 | +1553.1% |
| 1970 | 7,787 | +125.5% |
| 1971 | 11,182 | +43.6% |
| 1972 | 18,455 | +65.1% |
| 1973 | 27,277 | +47.8% |
| 1974 | 43,622 | +59.9% |
| 1975 | 73,308 | +68.1% |
| 1976 | 91,500 | +24.8% |
| 1977 | 75,654 | -17.3% |
| 1978 | 72,871 | -3.7% |
| 1979 | 59,265 | -18.7% |
| 1980 | 73,184 | +23.5% |
| 1981 | 74,892 | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 93,364 | +24.7% |
| 1983 | 83,226 | -10.9% |
| 1984 | 72,296 | -13.1% |
| 1985 | 99,862 | +38.1% |
| 1986 | 117,586 | +17.7% |
| 1987 | 106,250 | -9.6% |
| 1988 | 124,642 | +17.3% |
| 1989 | 157,118 | +26.1% |
| 1990 | 137,502 | -12.5% |
| 1991 | 97,292 | -29.2% |
| 1992 | 104,174 | +7.1% |
| 1993 | 105,309 | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 108,296 | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 115,742 | +6.9% |
| 1996 | 107,113 | -7.5% |
| 1997 | 110,126 | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 125,341 | +13.8% |
| 1999 | 151,181 | +20.6% |
| 2000 | 143,691 | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 149,812 | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 198,945 | +32.8% |
| 2003 | 195,139 | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 176,109 | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 194,579 | +10.5% |
| 2006 | 205,064 | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 184,782 | -9.9% |
| 2008 | 196,832 | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 176,306 | -10.4% |
| 2010 | 173,935 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 176,391 | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 190,436 | +8.0% |
| 2013 | 229,574 | +20.6% |
| 2014 | 229,191 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 222,285 | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 215,871 | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 258,456 | +19.7% |
| 2018 | 251,542 | -2.7% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 251,542 is above the median for high income countries, which is 65,050, 3.9× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 251,542 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 235,176, 1.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | +1553.1% | 208.84 | 3,452 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 946.82 | 946.82 | 946.82 | 1 |
| 1960s | 1,831 | 208.84 | 3,452 | 2 |
| 1970s | 48,092 | 7,787 | 91,500 | 10 |
| 1980s | 100,242 | 72,296 | 157,118 | 10 |
| 1990s | 116,208 | 97,292 | 151,181 | 10 |
| 2000s | 182,126 | 143,691 | 205,064 | 10 |
| 2010s | 216,409 | 173,935 | 258,456 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More agriculture & rural data for Greenland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.03 % change on previous year (2023)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.6% (2023)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1143 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.6% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2018)
- Rural population 11.4% (2025)
- Rural population growth -2.2% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 16.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland?
- Fish catch by fishing sector in Greenland was 251,542 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish catch by fishing sector recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 258,456 in 2017.
- What is the lowest fish catch by fishing sector recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 208.84 in 1968.
- How does Greenland rank for fish catch by fishing sector?
- Greenland ranks 47th out of 170 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish catch by fishing sector rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fish catch by fishing sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).