Fish catch by fishing sector in Nigeria
Nigeria: Fish catch by fishing sector was 71,100 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
71,100
Change on year
down 7.6%
World rank
73rd
of 170 countries
All-time high
212,533
in 2003
All-time low
1,577
in 1950
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Fish catch by fishing sector in Nigeria, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, fish catch by fishing sector in Nigeria stood at 71,100.
That represents a change of down 7.6% on the previous year and down 59.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish catch by fishing sector in Nigeria peaked at 212,533 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1,577, in 1950.
Nigeria ranks 73rd of 170 countries on this measure, 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,577 | — |
| 1951 | 1,800 | +14.2% |
| 1952 | 2,024 | +12.4% |
| 1953 | 2,247 | +11.0% |
| 1954 | 2,470 | +9.9% |
| 1955 | 2,694 | +9.0% |
| 1956 | 2,917 | +8.3% |
| 1957 | 3,141 | +7.7% |
| 1958 | 3,364 | +7.1% |
| 1959 | 3,588 | +6.6% |
| 1960 | 3,811 | +6.2% |
| 1961 | 4,035 | +5.9% |
| 1962 | 4,314 | +6.9% |
| 1963 | 4,593 | +6.5% |
| 1964 | 6,562 | +42.9% |
| 1965 | 8,244 | +25.6% |
| 1966 | 8,948 | +8.5% |
| 1967 | 10,159 | +13.5% |
| 1968 | 10,578 | +4.1% |
| 1969 | 10,171 | -3.9% |
| 1970 | 13,043 | +28.2% |
| 1971 | 21,985 | +68.6% |
| 1972 | 20,399 | -7.2% |
| 1973 | 19,905 | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 20,365 | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 19,111 | -6.2% |
| 1976 | 17,140 | -10.3% |
| 1977 | 20,603 | +20.2% |
| 1978 | 28,663 | +39.1% |
| 1979 | 28,079 | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 25,903 | -7.7% |
| 1981 | 46,561 | +79.8% |
| 1982 | 59,006 | +26.7% |
| 1983 | 71,448 | +21.1% |
| 1984 | 82,765 | +15.8% |
| 1985 | 125,657 | +51.8% |
| 1986 | 136,136 | +8.3% |
| 1987 | 147,376 | +8.3% |
| 1988 | 159,080 | +7.9% |
| 1989 | 170,814 | +7.4% |
| 1990 | 182,321 | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 187,958 | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 196,831 | +4.7% |
| 1993 | 198,435 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 199,061 | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 203,505 | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 198,767 | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 194,890 | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 195,944 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 199,320 | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 204,397 | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 204,482 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 209,047 | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 212,533 | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 206,121 | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 196,300 | -4.8% |
| 2006 | 188,982 | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 184,479 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 175,641 | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 163,904 | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 151,672 | -7.5% |
| 2011 | 139,378 | -8.1% |
| 2012 | 128,229 | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 117,996 | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 108,685 | -7.9% |
| 2015 | 100,182 | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 76,034 | -24.1% |
| 2017 | 76,946 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 71,100 | -7.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 71,100 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71,100, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 71,100 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30,898, 2.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish catch by fishing sector in Nigeria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +79.8% | 25,903 | 46,561 |
| 1971 | +68.6% | 13,043 | 21,985 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,582 | 1,577 | 3,588 | 10 |
| 1960s | 7,141 | 3,811 | 10,578 | 10 |
| 1970s | 20,929 | 13,043 | 28,663 | 10 |
| 1980s | 102,475 | 25,903 | 170,814 | 10 |
| 1990s | 195,703 | 182,321 | 203,505 | 10 |
| 2000s | 194,589 | 163,904 | 212,533 | 10 |
| 2010s | 107,802 | 71,100 | 151,672 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish catch by fishing sector in Nigeria?
- Fish catch by fishing sector in Nigeria was 71,100 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 212,533 in 2003.
- What is the lowest fish catch by fishing sector recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,577 in 1950.
- How does Nigeria rank for fish catch by fishing sector?
- Nigeria ranks 73rd out of 170 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish catch by fishing sector rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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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