What is fish discards in Sri Lanka?

Fish discards in Sri Lanka was 17,512 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Sri Lanka?

The highest recorded value was 74,383 in 1982.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Sri Lanka?

The lowest recorded value was 4,039 in 1950.

How does Sri Lanka rank for fish discards?

Sri Lanka ranks 54th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Sri Lanka?

Over the last ten years it is down 23.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

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

Sri Lanka: Fish discards was 17,512 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

17,512

Change on year

up 20.4%

World rank

54th

of 161 countries

All-time high

74,383

in 1982

All-time low

4,039

in 1950

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Sri Lanka, 1950–2018

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for fish discards in Sri Lanka is 17,512, measured in 2018.

That represents a change of up 20.4% on the previous year and down 23.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Sri Lanka peaked at 74,383 in 1982 and was at its lowest, 4,039, in 1950.

That places Sri Lanka 54th 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
1950s	9,129	4,039	16,965	10
1960s	24,316	14,541	39,584	10
1970s	41,350	25,851	58,722	10
1980s	43,870	32,051	74,383	10
1990s	30,224	17,076	41,561	10
2000s	23,792	8,155	38,892	10
2010s	17,901	14,544	24,319	9

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

51 Panama 20,033 compare
52 Ecuador 19,789 compare
53 Philippines 18,948 compare
55 Libya 17,225 compare
56 Sweden 16,823 compare
57 Malaysia 16,711 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 9.10 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 8.4% (2025)
Rural population 17.31 million (2025)
Rural population growth -0.9% (2025)
Rural population 79.5% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
Land under cereal production 1.25 million hectares (2023)

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Sri Lanka?: Fish discards in Sri Lanka was 17,512 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Sri Lanka?: The highest recorded value was 74,383 in 1982.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Sri Lanka?: The lowest recorded value was 4,039 in 1950.
How does Sri Lanka rank for fish discards?: Sri Lanka ranks 54th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Sri Lanka?: Over the last ten years it is down 23.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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.