Fish discards in North Korea
North Korea: Fish discards was 1,050 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in North Korea, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fish discards in North Korea is 1,050, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.7% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in North Korea peaked at 30,453 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 961, in 2009.
That places North Korea 106th 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.
Fish discards in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,611 | — |
| 1951 | 1,609 | -0.1% |
| 1952 | 1,612 | +0.2% |
| 1953 | 1,597 | -0.9% |
| 1954 | 1,879 | +17.6% |
| 1955 | 2,162 | +15.1% |
| 1956 | 2,433 | +12.5% |
| 1957 | 2,703 | +11.1% |
| 1958 | 2,870 | +6.2% |
| 1959 | 3,034 | +5.7% |
| 1960 | 3,196 | +5.3% |
| 1961 | 3,188 | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 3,136 | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 3,170 | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 3,176 | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 3,208 | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 3,390 | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 3,547 | +4.6% |
| 1968 | 3,624 | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 3,679 | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 3,671 | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 3,840 | +4.6% |
| 1972 | 4,053 | +5.5% |
| 1973 | 4,177 | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 4,471 | +7.1% |
| 1975 | 4,651 | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 5,631 | +21.1% |
| 1977 | 5,438 | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 6,113 | +12.4% |
| 1979 | 5,917 | -3.2% |
| 1980 | 5,610 | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 5,823 | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 5,625 | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 4,555 | -19.0% |
| 1984 | 4,732 | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 4,055 | -14.3% |
| 1986 | 4,160 | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 4,481 | +7.7% |
| 1988 | 3,931 | -12.3% |
| 1989 | 3,998 | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 2,324 | -41.9% |
| 1991 | 30,453 | +1210.4% |
| 1992 | 1,646 | -94.6% |
| 1993 | 1,926 | +17.0% |
| 1994 | 1,721 | -10.6% |
| 1995 | 1,496 | -13.0% |
| 1996 | 1,127 | -24.7% |
| 1997 | 1,043 | -7.4% |
| 1998 | 1,021 | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 1,001 | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 1,071 | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 1,012 | -5.6% |
| 2002 | 1,085 | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 1,125 | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 1,576 | +40.0% |
| 2005 | 1,225 | -22.2% |
| 2006 | 1,244 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 1,160 | -6.7% |
| 2008 | 1,118 | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 961 | -14.1% |
| 2010 | 961 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 970.65 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 995.1 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 1,010 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 1,064 | +5.4% |
| 2015 | 1,093 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 1,127 | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 1,162 | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 1,050 | -9.7% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 1,050 is above the median for low income countries, which is 179.59, 5.8× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 1,050 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5,675, 18% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +1210.4% | 2,324 | 30,453 |
| 1992 | -94.6% | 30,453 | 1,646 |
| 1990 | -41.9% | 3,998 | 2,324 |
| 2004 | +40.0% | 1,125 | 1,576 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,151 | 1,597 | 3,034 | 10 |
| 1960s | 3,331 | 3,136 | 3,679 | 10 |
| 1970s | 4,796 | 3,671 | 6,113 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,697 | 3,931 | 5,823 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,376 | 1,001 | 30,453 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,158 | 961 | 1,576 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,048 | 961 | 1,162 | 9 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More agriculture & rural data for North Korea
- Rural population 9.52 million (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3581 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6454 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 35.8% (2025)
- Cereal production (metric tons), annual growth rate 2.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Cereal yield 3,610 kg per hectare (2024)
- Land under cereal production (hectares), annual growth rate 0.0436 % change on previous year (2024)
- Cereal production (metric tons), per capita 0.1844 metric tons per person (2024)
- Milk per animal 2,342 kilograms per animal (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in North Korea?
- Fish discards in North Korea was 1,050 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 30,453 in 1991.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 961 in 2009.
- How does North Korea rank for fish discards?
- North Korea ranks 106th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea 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.