What is fish discards in Greenland?

Fish discards in Greenland was 27,320 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Greenland?

The highest recorded value was 78,650 in 2003.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Greenland?

The lowest recorded value was 2,920 in 1952.

How does Greenland rank for fish discards?

Greenland ranks 38th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Greenland?

Over the last ten years it is up 40.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Greenland 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 Greenland

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

Greenland: Fish discards was 27,320 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

27,320

Change on year

up 11.8%

World rank

38th

of 161 countries

All-time high

78,650

in 2003

All-time low

2,920

in 1952

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Greenland, 1950–2018

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

Analysis

Greenland recorded 27,320 for fish discards in 2018.

That represents a change of up 11.8% on the previous year and up 40.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Greenland peaked at 78,650 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2,920, in 1952.

That places Greenland 38th out of 161 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

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	3,848	2,920	5,054	10
1960s	5,198	4,271	6,520	10
1970s	32,512	7,131	68,940	10
1980s	39,390	30,090	60,299	10
1990s	30,586	21,638	56,579	10
2000s	30,395	15,412	78,650	10
2010s	21,412	15,938	27,320	9

Countries ranked near Greenland

35 United Kingdom 31,079 compare
36 Iran 29,394 compare
37 Iceland 28,914 compare
39 Belize 26,410 compare
40 Poland 26,333 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Greenland

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 550.81 million current US$ (2023)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 16.6% (2023)
Rural population 6,494 (2025)
Rural population growth -2.2% (2025)
Rural population 11.4% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2018)
Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2018)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.6% (2023)
Share of GDP from agriculture 16.6% (2023)
Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture 30 metric tons (2024)

All data for Greenland →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Greenland?: Fish discards in Greenland was 27,320 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Greenland?: The highest recorded value was 78,650 in 2003.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Greenland?: The lowest recorded value was 2,920 in 1952.
How does Greenland rank for fish discards?: Greenland ranks 38th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Greenland?: Over the last ten years it is up 40.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Greenland 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.