Fish discards in Spain
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
69
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.
Fish discards in Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 608,878 | — |
| 1951 | 492,434 | -19.1% |
| 1952 | 616,603 | +25.2% |
| 1953 | 636,183 | +3.2% |
| 1954 | 782,494 | +23.0% |
| 1955 | 914,449 | +16.9% |
| 1956 | 843,225 | -7.8% |
| 1957 | 850,072 | +0.8% |
| 1958 | 767,905 | -9.7% |
| 1959 | 860,613 | +12.1% |
| 1960 | 1.00 million | +16.7% |
| 1961 | 1.16 million | +15.5% |
| 1962 | 1.06 million | -8.4% |
| 1963 | 1.16 million | +8.9% |
| 1964 | 1.15 million | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 1.15 million | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 1.14 million | -1.5% |
| 1967 | 1.30 million | +14.1% |
| 1968 | 1.31 million | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 1.11 million | -15.0% |
| 1970 | 1.05 million | -5.3% |
| 1971 | 1.02 million | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 774,335 | -24.0% |
| 1973 | 645,767 | -16.6% |
| 1974 | 607,763 | -5.9% |
| 1975 | 549,319 | -9.6% |
| 1976 | 448,867 | -18.3% |
| 1977 | 439,615 | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 414,832 | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 385,306 | -7.1% |
| 1980 | 410,358 | +6.5% |
| 1981 | 417,799 | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 405,594 | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 346,664 | -14.5% |
| 1984 | 384,540 | +10.9% |
| 1985 | 378,347 | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 393,249 | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 429,581 | +9.2% |
| 1988 | 416,054 | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 368,628 | -11.4% |
| 1990 | 399,551 | +8.4% |
| 1991 | 340,153 | -14.9% |
| 1992 | 321,181 | -5.6% |
| 1993 | 333,897 | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 327,614 | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 312,449 | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 318,655 | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 343,820 | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 308,540 | -10.3% |
| 1999 | 291,207 | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 335,132 | +15.1% |
| 2001 | 337,030 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 318,501 | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 270,228 | -15.2% |
| 2004 | 246,286 | -8.9% |
| 2005 | 241,496 | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 232,982 | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 200,777 | -13.8% |
| 2008 | 202,618 | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 181,864 | -10.2% |
| 2010 | 193,334 | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 245,018 | +26.7% |
| 2012 | 152,686 | -37.7% |
| 2013 | 120,384 | -21.2% |
| 2014 | 132,196 | +9.8% |
| 2015 | 216,952 | +64.1% |
| 2016 | 212,151 | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 217,454 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 174,809 | -19.6% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 174,809 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,028, 21.8× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Spain's 174,809 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15,212, 11.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
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
More agriculture & rural data for Spain
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0268 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,036 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0113 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1949 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
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
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.