Fish landings and discards in South Africa
South Africa: Fish landings and discards was 37,688 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
37,688
Change on year
up 5.9%
World rank
30th
of 157 countries
All-time high
457,798
in 1968
All-time low
27,490
in 2013
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Fish landings and discards in South Africa, 1950–2018
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, fish landings and discards in South Africa stood at 37,688.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish landings and discards in South Africa peaked at 457,798 in 1968 and was at its lowest, 27,490, in 2013.
That places South Africa 30th out of 157 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish landings and discards in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 31,057 | — |
| 1951 | 58,744 | +89.1% |
| 1952 | 93,154 | +58.6% |
| 1953 | 101,392 | +8.8% |
| 1954 | 97,926 | -3.4% |
| 1955 | 91,006 | -7.1% |
| 1956 | 86,460 | -5.0% |
| 1957 | 89,890 | +4.0% |
| 1958 | 95,319 | +6.0% |
| 1959 | 111,424 | +16.9% |
| 1960 | 122,070 | +9.6% |
| 1961 | 147,499 | +20.8% |
| 1962 | 163,317 | +10.7% |
| 1963 | 206,840 | +26.6% |
| 1964 | 217,476 | +5.1% |
| 1965 | 225,125 | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 245,577 | +9.1% |
| 1967 | 315,786 | +28.6% |
| 1968 | 457,798 | +45.0% |
| 1969 | 379,555 | -17.1% |
| 1970 | 200,057 | -47.3% |
| 1971 | 154,569 | -22.7% |
| 1972 | 162,663 | +5.2% |
| 1973 | 184,753 | +13.6% |
| 1974 | 223,958 | +21.2% |
| 1975 | 222,480 | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 182,588 | -17.9% |
| 1977 | 109,915 | -39.8% |
| 1978 | 81,204 | -26.1% |
| 1979 | 74,873 | -7.8% |
| 1980 | 61,118 | -18.4% |
| 1981 | 71,128 | +16.4% |
| 1982 | 65,957 | -7.3% |
| 1983 | 72,524 | +10.0% |
| 1984 | 59,935 | -17.4% |
| 1985 | 58,632 | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 63,219 | +7.8% |
| 1987 | 107,063 | +69.4% |
| 1988 | 96,367 | -10.0% |
| 1989 | 66,505 | -31.0% |
| 1990 | 33,657 | -49.4% |
| 1991 | 31,015 | -7.9% |
| 1992 | 45,816 | +47.7% |
| 1993 | 36,525 | -20.3% |
| 1994 | 34,023 | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 37,686 | +10.8% |
| 1996 | 29,806 | -20.9% |
| 1997 | 34,901 | +17.1% |
| 1998 | 38,419 | +10.1% |
| 1999 | 39,694 | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 44,578 | +12.3% |
| 2001 | 52,186 | +17.1% |
| 2002 | 51,820 | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 55,889 | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 59,752 | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 55,138 | -7.7% |
| 2006 | 41,549 | -24.6% |
| 2007 | 45,572 | +9.7% |
| 2008 | 43,061 | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 33,590 | -22.0% |
| 2010 | 41,706 | +24.2% |
| 2011 | 34,733 | -16.7% |
| 2012 | 47,306 | +36.2% |
| 2013 | 27,490 | -41.9% |
| 2014 | 39,953 | +45.3% |
| 2015 | 37,835 | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 41,301 | +9.2% |
| 2017 | 35,576 | -13.9% |
| 2018 | 37,688 | +5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 85,637 | 31,057 | 111,424 | 10 |
| 1960s | 248,104 | 122,070 | 457,798 | 10 |
| 1970s | 159,706 | 74,873 | 223,958 | 10 |
| 1980s | 72,245 | 58,632 | 107,063 | 10 |
| 1990s | 36,154 | 29,806 | 45,816 | 10 |
| 2000s | 48,313 | 33,590 | 59,752 | 10 |
| 2010s | 38,176 | 27,490 | 47,306 | 9 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 2.83 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 2.83 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish landings and discards in South Africa?
- Fish landings and discards in South Africa was 37,688 in 2018, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish landings and discards recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 457,798 in 1968.
- What is the lowest fish landings and discards recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 27,490 in 2013.
- How does South Africa rank for fish landings and discards?
- South Africa ranks 30th out of 157 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish landings and discards rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fish landings and 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).