Fish discards in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Fish discards was 495.59 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Sierra Leone, 1956–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 495.59 for fish discards in 2018.
The figure is down 97.3% on the previous year and down 96.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Sierra Leone peaked at 29,404 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 32.64, in 1956.
That places Sierra Leone 118th 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 Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 32.64 | — |
| 1957 | 65.04 | +99.3% |
| 1958 | 97.2 | +49.4% |
| 1959 | 129.11 | +32.8% |
| 1960 | 160.79 | +24.5% |
| 1961 | 192.22 | +19.5% |
| 1962 | 223.41 | +16.2% |
| 1963 | 254.36 | +13.9% |
| 1964 | 285.06 | +12.1% |
| 1965 | 315.53 | +10.7% |
| 1966 | 345.75 | +9.6% |
| 1967 | 375.73 | +8.7% |
| 1968 | 405.47 | +7.9% |
| 1969 | 434.97 | +7.3% |
| 1970 | 464.22 | +6.7% |
| 1971 | 1,048 | +125.8% |
| 1972 | 1,442 | +37.6% |
| 1973 | 1,885 | +30.7% |
| 1974 | 2,360 | +25.2% |
| 1975 | 2,395 | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 3,967 | +65.6% |
| 1977 | 4,962 | +25.1% |
| 1978 | 6,932 | +39.7% |
| 1979 | 5,196 | -25.0% |
| 1980 | 4,709 | -9.4% |
| 1981 | 4,894 | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 5,474 | +11.9% |
| 1983 | 6,194 | +13.1% |
| 1984 | 6,272 | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 7,039 | +12.2% |
| 1986 | 7,612 | +8.2% |
| 1987 | 7,948 | +4.4% |
| 1988 | 8,214 | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 7,422 | -9.6% |
| 1990 | 8,946 | +20.5% |
| 1991 | 12,550 | +40.3% |
| 1992 | 10,302 | -17.9% |
| 1993 | 15,432 | +49.8% |
| 1994 | 11,375 | -26.3% |
| 1995 | 12,378 | +8.8% |
| 1996 | 9,470 | -23.5% |
| 1997 | 17,619 | +86.0% |
| 1998 | 18,641 | +5.8% |
| 1999 | 18,328 | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 29,404 | +60.4% |
| 2001 | 25,695 | -12.6% |
| 2002 | 26,628 | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 18,058 | -32.2% |
| 2004 | 14,267 | -21.0% |
| 2005 | 11,398 | -20.1% |
| 2006 | 12,290 | +7.8% |
| 2007 | 13,544 | +10.2% |
| 2008 | 14,713 | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 18,257 | +24.1% |
| 2010 | 19,898 | +9.0% |
| 2011 | 19,058 | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 18,982 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 18,881 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 18,855 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 18,680 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 18,198 | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 18,198 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 495.59 | -97.3% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 495.59 is above the median for low income countries, which is 179.59, 2.8× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 495.59 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,311, 38% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in Sierra Leone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +125.8% | 464.22 | 1,048 |
| 2018 | -97.3% | 18,198 | 495.59 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 81 | 32.64 | 129.11 | 4 |
| 1960s | 299.33 | 160.79 | 434.97 | 10 |
| 1970s | 3,065 | 464.22 | 6,932 | 10 |
| 1980s | 6,578 | 4,709 | 8,214 | 10 |
| 1990s | 13,504 | 8,946 | 18,641 | 10 |
| 2000s | 18,425 | 11,398 | 29,404 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,805 | 495.59 | 19,898 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 115 Israel 617.23 compare
- 116 Congo 601.99 compare
- 117 New Caledonia 535.16 compare
- 119 United Arab Emirates 397.5 compare
- 120 Finland 378.42 compare
- 121 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 365.46 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sierra Leone
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2954 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 250 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5407 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 29.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 29.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.4% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in Sierra Leone?
- Fish discards in Sierra Leone was 495.59 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 29,404 in 2000.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.64 in 1956.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for fish discards?
- Sierra Leone ranks 118th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 96.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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 — 63 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.