Fish and seafood production in Iraq
Iraq: Fish and seafood production was 66,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
66,000 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
101st
of 192 countries
All-time high
86,000 tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
9,000 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fish and seafood production in Iraq, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 66,000 tonnes for fish and seafood production in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish and seafood production in Iraq peaked at 86,000 tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 9,000 tonnes, in 1961.
Iraq ranks 101st of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish and seafood production in Iraq, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9,000 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 9,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 11,300 tonnes | +25.6% |
| 1964 | 19,200 tonnes | +69.9% |
| 1965 | 16,800 tonnes | -12.5% |
| 1966 | 14,100 tonnes | -16.1% |
| 1967 | 10,200 tonnes | -27.7% |
| 1968 | 19,100 tonnes | +87.3% |
| 1969 | 22,000 tonnes | +15.2% |
| 1970 | 32,100 tonnes | +45.9% |
| 1971 | 27,200 tonnes | -15.3% |
| 1972 | 32,000 tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1973 | 27,700 tonnes | -13.4% |
| 1974 | 24,250 tonnes | -12.5% |
| 1975 | 21,830 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 1976 | 28,280 tonnes | +29.5% |
| 1977 | 26,100 tonnes | -7.7% |
| 1978 | 26,100 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 55,230 tonnes | +111.6% |
| 1980 | 53,240 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 26,220 tonnes | -50.8% |
| 1982 | 24,000 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 1983 | 22,500 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1984 | 21,000 tonnes | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 21,440 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 20,560 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1987 | 21,250 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 26,460 tonnes | +24.5% |
| 1989 | 24,550 tonnes | -7.2% |
| 1990 | 24,230 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 15,230 tonnes | -37.1% |
| 1992 | 22,820 tonnes | +49.8% |
| 1993 | 23,940 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 29,250 tonnes | +22.2% |
| 1995 | 30,810 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 33,240 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 1997 | 34,700 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1998 | 30,070 tonnes | -13.3% |
| 1999 | 24,610 tonnes | -18.2% |
| 2000 | 22,510 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 2001 | 35,300 tonnes | +56.8% |
| 2002 | 28,000 tonnes | -20.7% |
| 2003 | 19,200 tonnes | -31.4% |
| 2004 | 26,880 tonnes | +40.0% |
| 2005 | 43,950 tonnes | +63.5% |
| 2006 | 73,940 tonnes | +68.2% |
| 2007 | 68,840 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 53,830 tonnes | -21.8% |
| 2009 | 46,980 tonnes | -12.7% |
| 2010 | 40,000 tonnes | -14.9% |
| 2011 | 48,000 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 2012 | 76,000 tonnes | +58.3% |
| 2013 | 71,000 tonnes | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 86,000 tonnes | +21.1% |
| 2015 | 52,000 tonnes | -39.5% |
| 2016 | 60,000 tonnes | +15.4% |
| 2017 | 67,000 tonnes | +11.7% |
| 2018 | 63,000 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 62,000 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 57,000 tonnes | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 66,000 tonnes | +15.8% |
| 2022 | 66,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 66,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 66,000 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 38,000 tonnes, 1.7× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 66,000 tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 49,000 tonnes, 1.3× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14,522 tonnes | 9,000 tonnes | 22,000 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 30,079 tonnes | 21,830 tonnes | 55,230 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 26,122 tonnes | 20,560 tonnes | 53,240 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 26,890 tonnes | 15,230 tonnes | 34,700 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 41,943 tonnes | 19,200 tonnes | 73,940 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 62,500 tonnes | 40,000 tonnes | 86,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 63,750 tonnes | 57,000 tonnes | 66,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 98 United Arab Emirates 76,000 tonnes compare
- 99 Congo 70,000 tonnes compare
- 100 Solomon Islands 69,000 tonnes compare
- 101 Uruguay 66,000 tonnes compare
- 103 Guinea-Bissau 63,000 tonnes compare
- 104 Ethiopia 61,000 tonnes compare
More agriculture & rural data for Iraq
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -8.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0341 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 184.67 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3006 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2016)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.1% (2014)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish and seafood production in Iraq?
- Fish and seafood production in Iraq was 66,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish and seafood production recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 86,000 tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest fish and seafood production recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Iraq rank for fish and seafood production?
- Iraq ranks 101st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fish and seafood production rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fish and seafood production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Fish and seafood production is measured as the sum of seafood from wild catch and fish farming (aquaculture).