Fish catch by fishing sector in Tanzania
Tanzania: Fish catch by fishing sector was 4,850 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
4,850
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
118th
of 170 countries
All-time high
7,700
in 2011
All-time low
637.72
in 1950
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Fish catch by fishing sector in Tanzania, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 4,850 for fish catch by fishing sector in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish catch by fishing sector in Tanzania peaked at 7,700 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 637.72, in 1950.
That places Tanzania 118th 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 Tanzania, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 637.72 | — |
| 1951 | 656.67 | +3.0% |
| 1952 | 675.62 | +2.9% |
| 1953 | 694.58 | +2.8% |
| 1954 | 713.53 | +2.7% |
| 1955 | 732.48 | +2.7% |
| 1956 | 756.09 | +3.2% |
| 1957 | 779.7 | +3.1% |
| 1958 | 803.32 | +3.0% |
| 1959 | 826.93 | +2.9% |
| 1960 | 850.54 | +2.9% |
| 1961 | 879.92 | +3.5% |
| 1962 | 909.3 | +3.3% |
| 1963 | 938.69 | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 968.07 | +3.1% |
| 1965 | 997.45 | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 2,113 | +111.8% |
| 1967 | 1,939 | -8.2% |
| 1968 | 2,176 | +12.2% |
| 1969 | 2,509 | +15.3% |
| 1970 | 2,730 | +8.8% |
| 1971 | 2,442 | -10.5% |
| 1972 | 2,124 | -13.0% |
| 1973 | 2,242 | +5.6% |
| 1974 | 1,670 | -25.5% |
| 1975 | 1,944 | +16.4% |
| 1976 | 3,857 | +98.4% |
| 1977 | 2,472 | -35.9% |
| 1978 | 2,263 | -8.5% |
| 1979 | 2,209 | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 2,095 | -5.1% |
| 1981 | 2,636 | +25.8% |
| 1982 | 2,090 | -20.7% |
| 1983 | 2,237 | +7.1% |
| 1984 | 2,525 | +12.9% |
| 1985 | 2,859 | +13.2% |
| 1986 | 2,984 | +4.4% |
| 1987 | 4,975 | +66.7% |
| 1988 | 4,658 | -6.4% |
| 1989 | 5,915 | +27.0% |
| 1990 | 5,808 | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 6,855 | +18.0% |
| 1992 | 6,354 | -7.3% |
| 1993 | 5,502 | -13.4% |
| 1994 | 4,415 | -19.8% |
| 1995 | 6,202 | +40.5% |
| 1996 | 6,784 | +9.4% |
| 1997 | 6,469 | -4.6% |
| 1998 | 7,403 | +14.4% |
| 1999 | 5,685 | -23.2% |
| 2000 | 5,849 | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 5,726 | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 5,800 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 5,089 | -12.3% |
| 2004 | 4,114 | -19.2% |
| 2005 | 6,517 | +58.4% |
| 2006 | 6,846 | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 6,184 | -9.7% |
| 2008 | 4,341 | -29.8% |
| 2009 | 4,614 | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 5,429 | +17.7% |
| 2011 | 7,700 | +41.8% |
| 2012 | 6,626 | -13.9% |
| 2013 | 5,467 | -17.5% |
| 2014 | 5,338 | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 5,634 | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 5,443 | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 4,922 | -9.6% |
| 2018 | 4,850 | -1.5% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 4,850 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71,100, 7% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 4,850 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30,898, 16% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish catch by fishing sector in Tanzania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | +111.8% | 997.45 | 2,113 |
| 1976 | +98.4% | 1,944 | 3,857 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 727.66 | 637.72 | 826.93 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,428 | 850.54 | 2,509 | 10 |
| 1970s | 2,395 | 1,670 | 3,857 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,297 | 2,090 | 5,915 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6,148 | 4,415 | 7,403 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,508 | 4,114 | 6,846 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,712 | 4,850 | 7,700 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 115 Iraq 5,912 compare
- 116 Cook Islands 5,168 compare
- 117 Cuba 4,862 compare
- 119 United Arab Emirates 4,148 compare
- 120 Oman 3,652 compare
- 121 Equatorial Guinea 3,362 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Tanzania
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2291 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 292.74 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6312 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 22.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 22.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.5% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish catch by fishing sector in Tanzania?
- Fish catch by fishing sector in Tanzania was 4,850 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 7,700 in 2011.
- What is the lowest fish catch by fishing sector recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 637.72 in 1950.
- How does Tanzania rank for fish catch by fishing sector?
- Tanzania ranks 118th out of 170 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish catch by fishing sector rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tanzania 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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