Fish discards in Malaysia
Malaysia: Fish discards was 16,711 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Malaysia, 1961–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fish discards in Malaysia is 16,711, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Malaysia peaked at 134,638 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 573.24, in 1961.
That places Malaysia 57th 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 573.24 | — |
| 1962 | 1,538 | +168.2% |
| 1963 | 29,195 | +1798.6% |
| 1964 | 45,678 | +56.5% |
| 1965 | 50,548 | +10.7% |
| 1966 | 67,626 | +33.8% |
| 1967 | 72,936 | +7.9% |
| 1968 | 85,985 | +17.9% |
| 1969 | 83,807 | -2.5% |
| 1970 | 78,817 | -6.0% |
| 1971 | 85,475 | +8.4% |
| 1972 | 86,442 | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 74,476 | -13.8% |
| 1974 | 80,918 | +8.6% |
| 1975 | 85,055 | +5.1% |
| 1976 | 96,036 | +12.9% |
| 1977 | 116,750 | +21.6% |
| 1978 | 108,014 | -7.5% |
| 1979 | 99,052 | -8.3% |
| 1980 | 85,305 | -13.9% |
| 1981 | 85,730 | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 102,634 | +19.7% |
| 1983 | 121,587 | +18.5% |
| 1984 | 130,408 | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 134,638 | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 129,083 | -4.1% |
| 1987 | 129,430 | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 125,045 | -3.4% |
| 1989 | 122,464 | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 110,565 | -9.7% |
| 1991 | 46,390 | -58.0% |
| 1992 | 44,525 | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 41,076 | -7.7% |
| 1994 | 40,401 | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 38,333 | -5.1% |
| 1996 | 33,361 | -13.0% |
| 1997 | 30,215 | -9.4% |
| 1998 | 29,503 | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 25,834 | -12.4% |
| 2000 | 24,071 | -6.8% |
| 2001 | 22,051 | -8.4% |
| 2002 | 20,489 | -7.1% |
| 2003 | 19,510 | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 16,845 | -13.7% |
| 2005 | 13,266 | -21.2% |
| 2006 | 14,353 | +8.2% |
| 2007 | 14,662 | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 14,782 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 14,914 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 15,213 | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 14,970 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 15,649 | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 15,615 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 15,923 | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 16,568 | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 17,176 | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 16,358 | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 16,711 | +2.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 16,711 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,034, 3.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 16,711 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5,675, 2.9× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +1798.6% | 1,538 | 29,195 |
| 1962 | +168.2% | 573.24 | 1,538 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48,654 | 573.24 | 85,985 | 9 |
| 1970s | 91,104 | 74,476 | 116,750 | 10 |
| 1980s | 116,632 | 85,305 | 134,638 | 10 |
| 1990s | 44,020 | 25,834 | 110,565 | 10 |
| 2000s | 17,494 | 13,266 | 24,071 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,020 | 14,970 | 17,176 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More agriculture & rural data for Malaysia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0822 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,078 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.913 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2261 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in Malaysia?
- Fish discards in Malaysia was 16,711 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 134,638 in 1985.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 573.24 in 1961.
- How does Malaysia rank for fish discards?
- Malaysia ranks 57th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 58 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.