What is fish discards in Saudi Arabia?

Fish discards in Saudi Arabia was 6,614 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The highest recorded value was 47,236 in 1973.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The lowest recorded value was 191.85 in 1962.

How does Saudi Arabia rank for fish discards?

Saudi Arabia ranks 77th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?

Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.

Fish discards in Saudi Arabia

Name: Fish discards in Saudi Arabia
Creator: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Saudi Arabia: Fish discards was 6,614 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

6,614

Change on year

up 1.2%

World rank

77th

of 161 countries

All-time high

47,236

in 1973

All-time low

191.85

in 1962

Years of data

1962–2018

Fish discards in Saudi Arabia, 1962–2018

Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for fish discards in Saudi Arabia is 6,614, measured in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Saudi Arabia peaked at 47,236 in 1973 and was at its lowest, 191.85, in 1962.

That places Saudi Arabia 77th 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.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	19,634	191.85	41,626	8
1970s	30,601	3,408	47,236	10
1980s	15,188	1,305	22,504	10
1990s	12,615	8,052	16,527	10
2000s	6,344	4,320	7,810	10
2010s	6,286	6,137	6,614	9

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

74 Bahrain 7,487 compare
75 Trinidad and Tobago 6,664 compare
76 Guatemala 6,635 compare
78 Vanuatu 6,317 compare
79 Oman 5,941 compare
80 Pakistan 5,286 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Saudi Arabia

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 33.07 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.6% (2025)
Rural population 5.69 million (2025)
Rural population growth 3.6% (2025)
Rural population 15.4% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.6% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 2.6% (2025)
Land under cereal production 232,932 hectares (2023)

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Saudi Arabia?: Fish discards in Saudi Arabia was 6,614 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The highest recorded value was 47,236 in 1973.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The lowest recorded value was 191.85 in 1962.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for fish discards?: Saudi Arabia ranks 77th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?: Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 57 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Fish discards
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 161 places, 9,371 data points, 1950–2018
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

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.