Fish discards in Greenland
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
69
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.
Fish discards in Greenland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3,687 | — |
| 1951 | 3,174 | -13.9% |
| 1952 | 2,920 | -8.0% |
| 1953 | 3,952 | +35.3% |
| 1954 | 3,270 | -17.3% |
| 1955 | 3,461 | +5.8% |
| 1956 | 3,691 | +6.7% |
| 1957 | 4,309 | +16.7% |
| 1958 | 5,054 | +17.3% |
| 1959 | 4,964 | -1.8% |
| 1960 | 5,101 | +2.8% |
| 1961 | 6,272 | +22.9% |
| 1962 | 6,520 | +4.0% |
| 1963 | 4,470 | -31.4% |
| 1964 | 4,353 | -2.6% |
| 1965 | 4,784 | +9.9% |
| 1966 | 5,605 | +17.2% |
| 1967 | 5,443 | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 4,271 | -21.5% |
| 1969 | 5,161 | +20.8% |
| 1970 | 7,131 | +38.2% |
| 1971 | 7,749 | +8.7% |
| 1972 | 10,632 | +37.2% |
| 1973 | 13,710 | +29.0% |
| 1974 | 25,586 | +86.6% |
| 1975 | 51,296 | +100.5% |
| 1976 | 68,940 | +34.4% |
| 1977 | 53,203 | -22.8% |
| 1978 | 47,196 | -11.3% |
| 1979 | 39,678 | -15.9% |
| 1980 | 38,619 | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 35,372 | -8.4% |
| 1982 | 37,048 | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 35,487 | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 30,090 | -15.2% |
| 1985 | 32,181 | +6.9% |
| 1986 | 38,653 | +20.1% |
| 1987 | 38,314 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 47,836 | +24.9% |
| 1989 | 60,299 | +26.1% |
| 1990 | 56,579 | -6.2% |
| 1991 | 37,314 | -34.1% |
| 1992 | 33,988 | -8.9% |
| 1993 | 24,045 | -29.3% |
| 1994 | 26,208 | +9.0% |
| 1995 | 21,638 | -17.4% |
| 1996 | 26,587 | +22.9% |
| 1997 | 29,466 | +10.8% |
| 1998 | 24,968 | -15.3% |
| 1999 | 25,068 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 25,666 | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 33,382 | +30.1% |
| 2002 | 62,495 | +87.2% |
| 2003 | 78,650 | +25.9% |
| 2004 | 15,412 | -80.4% |
| 2005 | 16,004 | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 17,409 | +8.8% |
| 2007 | 18,252 | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 19,404 | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 17,271 | -11.0% |
| 2010 | 15,938 | -7.7% |
| 2011 | 18,396 | +15.4% |
| 2012 | 19,109 | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 21,059 | +10.2% |
| 2014 | 19,333 | -8.2% |
| 2015 | 22,506 | +16.4% |
| 2016 | 24,609 | +9.3% |
| 2017 | 24,437 | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 27,320 | +11.8% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 27,320 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,028, 3.4× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 27,320 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15,212, 1.8× the median. (32 countries reporting)
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
More agriculture & rural data for Greenland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.03 % change on previous year (2023)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.6% (2023)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1143 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.6% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2018)
- Rural population 11.4% (2025)
- Rural population growth -2.2% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 16.6% (2023)
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
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.