What is fish discards in Spain?

Fish discards in Spain was 174,809 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Spain?

The highest recorded value was 1.31 million in 1968.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Spain?

The lowest recorded value was 120,384 in 2013.

How does Spain rank for fish discards?

Spain ranks 12th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Spain?

Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Spain 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 Spain

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

Spain: Fish discards was 174,809 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

174,809

Change on year

down 19.6%

World rank

12th

of 161 countries

All-time high

1.31 million

in 1968

All-time low

120,384

in 2013

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Spain, 1950–2018

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

Analysis

In 2018, fish discards in Spain stood at 174,809.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.6% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Spain peaked at 1.31 million in 1968 and was at its lowest, 120,384, in 2013.

That places Spain 12th out of 161 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	737,286	492,434	914,449	10
1960s	1.15 million	1.00 million	1.31 million	10
1970s	633,892	385,306	1.05 million	10
1980s	395,081	346,664	429,581	10
1990s	329,707	291,207	399,551	10
2000s	256,691	181,864	337,030	10
2010s	184,998	120,384	245,018	9

Countries ranked near Spain

9 Indonesia 296,902 compare
10 South Korea 229,517 compare
11 India 193,273 compare
13 Morocco 161,670 compare
14 Ghana 145,268 compare
15 France 96,060 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Spain

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 51.14 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.7% (2025)
Rural population 9.62 million (2025)
Rural population growth 0.0% (2025)
Rural population 19.5% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.7% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 2.7% (2025)
Land under cereal production 5.51 million hectares (2024)

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Spain?: Fish discards in Spain was 174,809 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Spain?: The highest recorded value was 1.31 million in 1968.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Spain?: The lowest recorded value was 120,384 in 2013.
How does Spain rank for fish discards?: Spain ranks 12th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Spain?: Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Spain 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

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.