Fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya
Kenya: Fish catch by fishing sector was 2,250 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya, 1980–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya is 2,250, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.7% on the previous year and up 28.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya peaked at 4,852 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 452.84, in 1995.
That places Kenya 131st out of 170 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 553.11 | — |
| 1981 | 967.32 | +74.9% |
| 1982 | 1,475 | +52.5% |
| 1983 | 1,688 | +14.4% |
| 1984 | 1,429 | -15.3% |
| 1985 | 4,852 | +239.5% |
| 1986 | 1,380 | -71.6% |
| 1987 | 2,011 | +45.7% |
| 1988 | 2,090 | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 1,740 | -16.8% |
| 1990 | 1,770 | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 2,011 | +13.7% |
| 1992 | 1,345 | -33.1% |
| 1993 | 457.77 | -66.0% |
| 1994 | 1,301 | +184.2% |
| 1995 | 452.84 | -65.2% |
| 1996 | 1,296 | +186.2% |
| 1997 | 1,853 | +43.0% |
| 1998 | 3,249 | +75.3% |
| 1999 | 1,962 | -39.6% |
| 2000 | 1,691 | -13.8% |
| 2001 | 1,698 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 1,400 | -17.5% |
| 2003 | 925.88 | -33.9% |
| 2004 | 2,341 | +152.9% |
| 2005 | 3,500 | +49.5% |
| 2006 | 2,699 | -22.9% |
| 2007 | 1,954 | -27.6% |
| 2008 | 1,757 | -10.1% |
| 2009 | 1,763 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 1,625 | -7.8% |
| 2011 | 1,373 | -15.5% |
| 2012 | 1,396 | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 1,399 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 1,424 | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 1,665 | +16.9% |
| 2016 | 1,756 | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 1,962 | +11.7% |
| 2018 | 2,250 | +14.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 2,250 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71,100, 3% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 2,250 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30,898, 7% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +239.5% | 1,429 | 4,852 |
| 1996 | +186.2% | 452.84 | 1,296 |
| 1994 | +184.2% | 457.77 | 1,301 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,819 | 553.11 | 4,852 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,570 | 452.84 | 3,249 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,973 | 925.88 | 3,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,650 | 1,373 | 2,250 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 128 Togo 2,450 compare
- 129 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2,407 compare
- 130 American Samoa 2,394 compare
- 132 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1,937 compare
- 133 Barbados 1,787 compare
- 134 Dominican Republic 1,666 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya?
- Fish catch by fishing sector in Kenya was 2,250 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 4,852 in 1985.
- What is the lowest fish catch by fishing sector recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 452.84 in 1995.
- How does Kenya rank for fish catch by fishing sector?
- Kenya ranks 131st out of 170 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish catch by fishing sector rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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
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