What is fish discards in China?

Fish discards in China was 609,409 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in China?

The highest recorded value was 815,807 in 2017.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in China?

The lowest recorded value was 3,779 in 1950.

How does China rank for fish discards?

China ranks 3rd out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is up 179.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this China data come from?

The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fish discards. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Fish discards in China

Name: Fish discards in China
Creator: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Fish discards was 609,409 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

609,409

Change on year

down 25.3%

World rank

3rd

of 161 countries

All-time high

815,807

in 2017

All-time low

3,779

in 1950

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in China, 1950–2018

Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2018, fish discards in China stood at 609,409.

The figure is down 25.3% on the previous year and up 179.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in China peaked at 815,807 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 3,779, in 1950.

That places China 3rd out of 161 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	8,099	3,779	10,590	10
1960s	13,963	10,430	16,392	10
1970s	41,107	25,903	55,976	10
1980s	87,030	38,067	140,178	10
1990s	170,162	150,744	188,391	10
2000s	221,703	190,247	230,482	10
2010s	508,899	178,876	815,807	9

Countries ranked near China

1 Russia 2.01 million compare
2 United States 674,076 compare
4 Vietnam 585,344 compare
5 Japan 414,441 compare
6 Mexico 406,756 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for China

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.30 trillion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.7% (2025)
Rural population 473.41 million (2025)
Rural population growth -1.5% (2025)
Rural population 33.7% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
Land under cereal production 99.99 million hectares (2023)

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in China?: Fish discards in China was 609,409 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 815,807 in 2017.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 3,779 in 1950.
How does China rank for fish discards?: China ranks 3rd out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is up 179.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?: The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fish discards. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Fish discards
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 161 places, 9,371 data points, 1950–2018
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Discards are animals thrown back (alive or dead) into the sea after being caught during fishing activities. This represents bycatch (fish caught unintentionally) that is not brought ashore for use.