Fish discards in Tanzania
Tanzania: Fish discards was 2,664 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Tanzania, 1961–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, fish discards in Tanzania stood at 2,664.
That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and up 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Tanzania peaked at 4,642 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 2.98, in 1961.
That places Tanzania 94th 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 Tanzania, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.98 | — |
| 1962 | 5.96 | +100.0% |
| 1963 | 8.93 | +50.0% |
| 1964 | 11.91 | +33.3% |
| 1965 | 14.89 | +25.0% |
| 1966 | 737.12 | +4850.0% |
| 1967 | 599.65 | -18.6% |
| 1968 | 736.31 | +22.8% |
| 1969 | 936.68 | +27.2% |
| 1970 | 1,061 | +13.3% |
| 1971 | 839.56 | -20.9% |
| 1972 | 598.53 | -28.7% |
| 1973 | 650.77 | +8.7% |
| 1974 | 239.29 | -63.2% |
| 1975 | 410.61 | +71.6% |
| 1976 | 1,665 | +305.5% |
| 1977 | 722.05 | -56.6% |
| 1978 | 565.43 | -21.7% |
| 1979 | 513.01 | -9.3% |
| 1980 | 421.73 | -17.8% |
| 1981 | 760.34 | +80.3% |
| 1982 | 375.88 | -50.6% |
| 1983 | 452.57 | +20.4% |
| 1984 | 626.96 | +38.5% |
| 1985 | 834.79 | +33.1% |
| 1986 | 950.39 | +13.8% |
| 1987 | 2,316 | +143.7% |
| 1988 | 2,147 | -7.3% |
| 1989 | 3,035 | +41.3% |
| 1990 | 3,016 | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 3,775 | +25.2% |
| 1992 | 3,506 | -7.1% |
| 1993 | 3,010 | -14.1% |
| 1994 | 2,371 | -21.2% |
| 1995 | 3,639 | +53.5% |
| 1996 | 4,145 | +13.9% |
| 1997 | 3,941 | -4.9% |
| 1998 | 4,642 | +17.8% |
| 1999 | 3,509 | -24.4% |
| 2000 | 3,639 | +3.7% |
| 2001 | 3,535 | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 3,571 | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 3,033 | -15.1% |
| 2004 | 2,342 | -22.8% |
| 2005 | 3,376 | +44.2% |
| 2006 | 3,631 | +7.6% |
| 2007 | 3,258 | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 2,123 | -34.8% |
| 2009 | 2,142 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 2,841 | +32.6% |
| 2011 | 3,395 | +19.5% |
| 2012 | 2,941 | -13.4% |
| 2013 | 2,819 | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 2,675 | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 2,879 | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 2,830 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 2,718 | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 2,664 | -2.0% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 2,664 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5,286, 50% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 2,664 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,311, 2.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in Tanzania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | +4850.0% | 14.89 | 737.12 |
| 1976 | +305.5% | 410.61 | 1,665 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 339.38 | 2.98 | 936.68 | 9 |
| 1970s | 726.54 | 239.29 | 1,665 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,192 | 375.88 | 3,035 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,555 | 2,371 | 4,642 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,065 | 2,123 | 3,639 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,863 | 2,664 | 3,395 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More agriculture & rural data for Tanzania
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2291 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 292.74 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6312 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 22.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 22.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.5% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in Tanzania?
- Fish discards in Tanzania was 2,664 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 4,642 in 1998.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.98 in 1961.
- How does Tanzania rank for fish discards?
- Tanzania ranks 94th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tanzania 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 — 58 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.