Fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia
Namibia: Fish catch by fishing sector was 553,115 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia, 1965–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia stood at 553,115.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 40.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia peaked at 839,586 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 1,176, in 1965.
Namibia ranks 29th of 170 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1,176 | — |
| 1966 | 6,296 | +435.4% |
| 1967 | 6,413 | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 6,523 | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 6,630 | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 8,234 | +24.2% |
| 1971 | 8,335 | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 8,433 | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 8,528 | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 8,620 | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 10,685 | +23.9% |
| 1976 | 13,008 | +21.7% |
| 1977 | 15,392 | +18.3% |
| 1978 | 17,135 | +11.3% |
| 1979 | 19,239 | +12.3% |
| 1980 | 18,581 | -3.4% |
| 1981 | 19,211 | +3.4% |
| 1982 | 20,038 | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 20,463 | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 20,984 | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 20,557 | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 21,570 | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 54,689 | +153.5% |
| 1988 | 57,133 | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 36,976 | -35.3% |
| 1990 | 449,797 | +1116.5% |
| 1991 | 347,192 | -22.8% |
| 1992 | 708,189 | +104.0% |
| 1993 | 839,586 | +18.6% |
| 1994 | 698,344 | -16.8% |
| 1995 | 608,418 | -12.9% |
| 1996 | 549,880 | -9.6% |
| 1997 | 541,563 | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 644,417 | +19.0% |
| 1999 | 616,057 | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 626,632 | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 578,986 | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 658,294 | +13.7% |
| 2003 | 675,036 | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 602,023 | -10.8% |
| 2005 | 590,990 | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 536,547 | -9.2% |
| 2007 | 433,814 | -19.1% |
| 2008 | 394,038 | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 403,597 | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 430,097 | +6.6% |
| 2011 | 482,210 | +12.1% |
| 2012 | 543,400 | +12.7% |
| 2013 | 561,218 | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 514,614 | -8.3% |
| 2015 | 579,420 | +12.6% |
| 2016 | 582,707 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 563,253 | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 553,115 | -1.8% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 553,115 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71,100, 7.8× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 553,115 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30,898, 17.9× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +1116.5% | 36,976 | 449,797 |
| 1966 | +435.4% | 1,176 | 6,296 |
| 1987 | +153.5% | 21,570 | 54,689 |
| 1992 | +104.0% | 347,192 | 708,189 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,408 | 1,176 | 6,630 | 5 |
| 1970s | 11,761 | 8,234 | 19,239 | 10 |
| 1980s | 29,020 | 18,581 | 57,133 | 10 |
| 1990s | 600,344 | 347,192 | 839,586 | 10 |
| 2000s | 549,996 | 394,038 | 675,036 | 10 |
| 2010s | 534,448 | 430,097 | 582,707 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More agriculture & rural data for Namibia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0699 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 340.78 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4913 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia?
- Fish catch by fishing sector in Namibia was 553,115 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 839,586 in 1993.
- What is the lowest fish catch by fishing sector recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,176 in 1965.
- How does Namibia rank for fish catch by fishing sector?
- Namibia ranks 29th out of 170 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish catch by fishing sector rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Namibia 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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