What is fish discards in Germany?

Fish discards in Germany was 22,291 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Germany?

The highest recorded value was 849,259 in 1963.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Germany?

The lowest recorded value was 17,787 in 2017.

How does Germany rank for fish discards?

Germany ranks 46th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Germany?

Over the last ten years it is down 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Germany 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 Germany

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

Germany: Fish discards was 22,291 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

22,291

Change on year

up 25.3%

World rank

46th

of 161 countries

All-time high

849,259

in 1963

All-time low

17,787

in 2017

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Germany, 1950–2018

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

Analysis

In 2018, fish discards in Germany stood at 22,291.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 25.3% on the previous year and down 56.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Germany peaked at 849,259 in 1963 and was at its lowest, 17,787, in 2017.

That places Germany 46th out of 161 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.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	151,504	54,480	366,125	10
1960s	702,080	410,652	849,259	10
1970s	189,466	68,706	390,644	10
1980s	54,698	47,353	76,521	10
1990s	57,787	48,402	65,486	10
2000s	50,094	43,678	58,576	10
2010s	34,322	17,787	52,354	9

Countries ranked near Germany

43 Mozambique 25,178 compare
44 Egypt 24,067 compare
45 Saint Kitts and Nevis 23,560 compare
47 Namibia 21,602 compare
48 Australia 21,571 compare
49 Georgia 21,511 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Germany

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 44.02 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 0.9% (2025)
Rural population 14.91 million (2025)
Rural population growth -0.7% (2025)
Rural population 17.9% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 0.7% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.9% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 0.9% (2025)
Land under cereal production 6.06 million hectares (2023)

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Germany?: Fish discards in Germany was 22,291 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Germany?: The highest recorded value was 849,259 in 1963.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Germany?: The lowest recorded value was 17,787 in 2017.
How does Germany rank for fish discards?: Germany ranks 46th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Germany?: Over the last ten years it is down 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany 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.