Fish discards in Nigeria
Nigeria: Fish discards was 2,418 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Nigeria, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fish discards in Nigeria is 2,418, measured in 2018.
The figure is up 55.2% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Nigeria peaked at 21,113 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 217.8, in 1950.
Nigeria ranks 95th of 161 countries on this measure, 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 217.8 | — |
| 1951 | 225 | +3.3% |
| 1952 | 232.2 | +3.2% |
| 1953 | 239.4 | +3.1% |
| 1954 | 246.6 | +3.0% |
| 1955 | 253.8 | +2.9% |
| 1956 | 261 | +2.8% |
| 1957 | 268.2 | +2.8% |
| 1958 | 275.4 | +2.7% |
| 1959 | 282.6 | +2.6% |
| 1960 | 289.8 | +2.5% |
| 1961 | 297 | +2.5% |
| 1962 | 359.88 | +21.2% |
| 1963 | 422.75 | +17.5% |
| 1964 | 485.62 | +14.9% |
| 1965 | 568.07 | +17.0% |
| 1966 | 580.94 | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 593.78 | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 606.58 | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 619.34 | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 632.07 | +2.1% |
| 1971 | 719.85 | +13.9% |
| 1972 | 807.6 | +12.2% |
| 1973 | 895.31 | +10.9% |
| 1974 | 982.98 | +9.8% |
| 1975 | 1,096 | +11.5% |
| 1976 | 1,208 | +10.3% |
| 1977 | 1,320 | +9.3% |
| 1978 | 1,432 | +8.4% |
| 1979 | 1,543 | +7.7% |
| 1980 | 1,647 | +6.8% |
| 1981 | 1,758 | +6.7% |
| 1982 | 1,809 | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 1,883 | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 2,000 | +6.2% |
| 1985 | 16,804 | +740.3% |
| 1986 | 15,640 | -6.9% |
| 1987 | 17,107 | +9.4% |
| 1988 | 19,141 | +11.9% |
| 1989 | 20,580 | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 21,113 | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 18,065 | -14.4% |
| 1992 | 14,856 | -17.8% |
| 1993 | 13,226 | -11.0% |
| 1994 | 10,278 | -22.3% |
| 1995 | 7,613 | -25.9% |
| 1996 | 5,599 | -26.5% |
| 1997 | 3,726 | -33.4% |
| 1998 | 2,602 | -30.2% |
| 1999 | 2,803 | +7.7% |
| 2000 | 3,036 | +8.3% |
| 2001 | 3,173 | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 3,198 | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 3,514 | +9.9% |
| 2004 | 3,446 | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 3,379 | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 3,206 | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 3,682 | +14.9% |
| 2008 | 3,131 | -15.0% |
| 2009 | 3,230 | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 3,145 | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 2,880 | -8.4% |
| 2012 | 2,637 | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 2,409 | -8.7% |
| 2014 | 2,204 | -8.5% |
| 2015 | 2,018 | -8.5% |
| 2016 | 1,773 | -12.1% |
| 2017 | 1,558 | -12.1% |
| 2018 | 2,418 | +55.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 2,418 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5,286, 46% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 2,418 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,311, 1.8× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in Nigeria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +740.3% | 2,000 | 16,804 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 250.2 | 217.8 | 282.6 | 10 |
| 1960s | 482.38 | 289.8 | 619.34 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,064 | 632.07 | 1,543 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9,837 | 1,647 | 20,580 | 10 |
| 1990s | 9,988 | 2,602 | 21,113 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,300 | 3,036 | 3,682 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,338 | 1,558 | 3,145 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in Nigeria?
- Fish discards in Nigeria was 2,418 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 21,113 in 1990.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 217.8 in 1950.
- How does Nigeria rank for fish discards?
- Nigeria ranks 95th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.