What is fish discards in Costa Rica?

Fish discards in Costa Rica was 20,647 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Costa Rica?

The highest recorded value was 58,142 in 1986.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Costa Rica?

The lowest recorded value was 662.2 in 1950.

How does Costa Rica rank for fish discards?

Costa Rica ranks 50th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Costa Rica?

Over the last ten years it is down 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica

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

Costa Rica: Fish discards was 20,647 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

20,647

Change on year

down 0.0%

World rank

50th

of 161 countries

All-time high

58,142

in 1986

All-time low

662.2

in 1950

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Costa Rica, 1950–2018

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

Analysis

In 2018, fish discards in Costa Rica stood at 20,647.

That represents a change of down 30.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Costa Rica peaked at 58,142 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 662.2, in 1950.

Costa Rica ranks 50th of 161 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.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	1,465	662.2	4,635	10
1960s	10,652	7,284	15,956	10
1970s	21,102	15,439	26,707	10
1980s	36,069	18,223	58,142	10
1990s	27,224	17,034	34,096	10
2000s	23,551	17,901	29,538	10
2010s	25,947	20,647	30,289	9

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

47 Namibia 21,602 compare
48 Australia 21,571 compare
49 Georgia 21,511 compare
51 Panama 20,033 compare
52 Ecuador 19,789 compare
53 Philippines 18,948 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Costa Rica

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.46 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.4% (2025)
Rural population 1.04 million (2025)
Rural population growth -1.6% (2025)
Rural population 20.3% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
Land under cereal production 18,980 hectares (2024)

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Costa Rica?: Fish discards in Costa Rica was 20,647 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Costa Rica?: The highest recorded value was 58,142 in 1986.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Costa Rica?: The lowest recorded value was 662.2 in 1950.
How does Costa Rica rank for fish discards?: Costa Rica ranks 50th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Costa Rica?: Over the last ten years it is down 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Costa Rica 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.