Fish discards in Namibia
Namibia: Fish discards was 21,602 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Namibia, 1965–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, fish discards in Namibia stood at 21,602.
The figure is up 19.6% on the previous year and up 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Namibia peaked at 39,574 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 19.57, in 1965.
That places Namibia 47th 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 Namibia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 19.57 | — |
| 1966 | 21.56 | +10.2% |
| 1967 | 23.52 | +9.1% |
| 1968 | 25.44 | +8.2% |
| 1969 | 27.32 | +7.4% |
| 1970 | 29.17 | +6.8% |
| 1971 | 30.98 | +6.2% |
| 1972 | 32.76 | +5.7% |
| 1973 | 34.5 | +5.3% |
| 1974 | 36.2 | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 63.14 | +74.4% |
| 1976 | 89.58 | +41.9% |
| 1977 | 115.53 | +29.0% |
| 1978 | 140.98 | +22.0% |
| 1979 | 165.94 | +17.7% |
| 1980 | 146.33 | -11.8% |
| 1981 | 147.42 | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 148.47 | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 149.46 | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 150.41 | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 134.5 | -10.6% |
| 1986 | 135.25 | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 6,141 | +4440.1% |
| 1988 | 6,381 | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 3,502 | -45.1% |
| 1990 | 21,494 | +513.7% |
| 1991 | 17,310 | -19.5% |
| 1992 | 33,662 | +94.5% |
| 1993 | 39,574 | +17.6% |
| 1994 | 36,267 | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 31,165 | -14.1% |
| 1996 | 27,274 | -12.5% |
| 1997 | 25,995 | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 32,736 | +25.9% |
| 1999 | 32,500 | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 31,887 | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 29,472 | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 27,772 | -5.8% |
| 2003 | 31,890 | +14.8% |
| 2004 | 27,656 | -13.3% |
| 2005 | 27,122 | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 21,874 | -19.3% |
| 2007 | 18,376 | -16.0% |
| 2008 | 17,736 | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 18,369 | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 19,939 | +8.5% |
| 2011 | 22,884 | +14.8% |
| 2012 | 23,580 | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 24,009 | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 21,633 | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 20,929 | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 19,904 | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 18,068 | -9.2% |
| 2018 | 21,602 | +19.6% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 21,602 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5,286, 4.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 21,602 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,311, 16.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in Namibia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +4440.1% | 135.25 | 6,141 |
| 1990 | +513.7% | 3,502 | 21,494 |
| 1992 | +94.5% | 17,310 | 33,662 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.48 | 19.57 | 27.32 | 5 |
| 1970s | 73.88 | 29.17 | 165.94 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,704 | 134.5 | 6,381 | 10 |
| 1990s | 29,798 | 17,310 | 39,574 | 10 |
| 2000s | 25,215 | 17,736 | 31,890 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21,394 | 18,068 | 24,009 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More agriculture & rural data for Namibia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0699 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 340.78 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4913 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in Namibia?
- Fish discards in Namibia was 21,602 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 39,574 in 1993.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.57 in 1965.
- How does Namibia rank for fish discards?
- Namibia ranks 47th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Namibia 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 — 54 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.