Fish discards in Costa Rica
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
69
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.
Fish discards in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 662.2 | — |
| 1951 | 662.2 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 713.2 | +7.7% |
| 1953 | 662.2 | -7.2% |
| 1954 | 692.2 | +4.5% |
| 1955 | 1,324 | +91.3% |
| 1956 | 1,324 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 1,326 | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 2,650 | +99.9% |
| 1959 | 4,635 | +74.9% |
| 1960 | 7,304 | +57.6% |
| 1961 | 7,289 | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 7,284 | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 8,012 | +10.0% |
| 1964 | 12,582 | +57.0% |
| 1965 | 11,257 | -10.5% |
| 1966 | 11,920 | +5.9% |
| 1967 | 11,920 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 15,956 | +33.9% |
| 1969 | 13,000 | -18.5% |
| 1970 | 17,748 | +36.5% |
| 1971 | 26,707 | +50.5% |
| 1972 | 20,116 | -24.7% |
| 1973 | 24,217 | +20.4% |
| 1974 | 24,466 | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 24,255 | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 20,351 | -16.1% |
| 1977 | 15,439 | -24.1% |
| 1978 | 17,146 | +11.1% |
| 1979 | 20,580 | +20.0% |
| 1980 | 24,100 | +17.1% |
| 1981 | 31,346 | +30.1% |
| 1982 | 30,471 | -2.8% |
| 1983 | 18,223 | -40.2% |
| 1984 | 29,708 | +63.0% |
| 1985 | 58,048 | +95.4% |
| 1986 | 58,142 | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 39,909 | -31.4% |
| 1988 | 37,123 | -7.0% |
| 1989 | 33,623 | -9.4% |
| 1990 | 33,079 | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 17,034 | -48.5% |
| 1992 | 21,805 | +28.0% |
| 1993 | 30,392 | +39.4% |
| 1994 | 34,096 | +12.2% |
| 1995 | 32,574 | -4.5% |
| 1996 | 30,403 | -6.7% |
| 1997 | 26,957 | -11.3% |
| 1998 | 21,269 | -21.1% |
| 1999 | 24,631 | +15.8% |
| 2000 | 17,901 | -27.3% |
| 2001 | 23,551 | +31.6% |
| 2002 | 20,497 | -13.0% |
| 2003 | 18,589 | -9.3% |
| 2004 | 23,187 | +24.7% |
| 2005 | 23,372 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 25,599 | +9.5% |
| 2007 | 24,206 | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 29,538 | +22.0% |
| 2009 | 29,072 | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 22,472 | -22.7% |
| 2011 | 26,063 | +16.0% |
| 2012 | 27,623 | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 26,854 | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 29,275 | +9.0% |
| 2015 | 29,652 | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 30,289 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 20,647 | -31.8% |
| 2018 | 20,647 | -0.0% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 20,647 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,028, 2.6× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 20,647 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5,850, 3.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
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
More agriculture & rural data for Costa Rica
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0337 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 672.15 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2027 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
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
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.