Fish and seafood production in Malawi
Malawi: Fish and seafood production was 181,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
181,000 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
71st
of 192 countries
All-time high
231,000 tonnes
in 2018
All-time low
14,300 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fish and seafood production in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 181,000 tonnes for fish and seafood production in 2023.
That represents a change of up 56.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish and seafood production in Malawi peaked at 231,000 tonnes in 2018 and was at its lowest, 14,300 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Malawi 71st out of 192 countries with data for 2023, 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 and seafood production in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 14,300 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 19,500 tonnes | +36.4% |
| 1963 | 21,700 tonnes | +11.3% |
| 1964 | 21,200 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 33,900 tonnes | +59.9% |
| 1966 | 32,500 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1967 | 29,300 tonnes | -9.8% |
| 1968 | 32,900 tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1969 | 38,200 tonnes | +16.1% |
| 1970 | 47,000 tonnes | +23.0% |
| 1971 | 60,000 tonnes | +27.7% |
| 1972 | 70,000 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1973 | 69,300 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 70,280 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 70,990 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 74,900 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1977 | 68,200 tonnes | -8.9% |
| 1978 | 67,800 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 60,000 tonnes | -11.5% |
| 1980 | 65,760 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 1981 | 51,400 tonnes | -21.8% |
| 1982 | 58,430 tonnes | +13.7% |
| 1983 | 67,010 tonnes | +14.7% |
| 1984 | 65,070 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 62,070 tonnes | -4.6% |
| 1986 | 72,860 tonnes | +17.4% |
| 1987 | 88,600 tonnes | +21.6% |
| 1988 | 78,820 tonnes | -11.0% |
| 1989 | 70,770 tonnes | -10.2% |
| 1990 | 74,100 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1991 | 63,730 tonnes | -14.0% |
| 1992 | 69,480 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1993 | 68,210 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 58,800 tonnes | -13.8% |
| 1995 | 53,890 tonnes | -8.4% |
| 1996 | 63,810 tonnes | +18.4% |
| 1997 | 56,570 tonnes | -11.3% |
| 1998 | 41,340 tonnes | -26.9% |
| 1999 | 45,980 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 2000 | 50,530 tonnes | +9.9% |
| 2001 | 41,190 tonnes | -18.5% |
| 2002 | 41,970 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 54,210 tonnes | +29.2% |
| 2004 | 57,200 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 60,410 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 74,290 tonnes | +23.0% |
| 2007 | 68,000 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 2008 | 71,720 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 70,950 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 101,000 tonnes | +42.4% |
| 2011 | 85,000 tonnes | -15.8% |
| 2012 | 129,000 tonnes | +51.8% |
| 2013 | 116,000 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2014 | 121,000 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2015 | 147,000 tonnes | +21.5% |
| 2016 | 160,000 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 212,000 tonnes | +32.5% |
| 2018 | 231,000 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2019 | 163,000 tonnes | -29.4% |
| 2020 | 181,000 tonnes | +11.0% |
| 2021 | 181,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 181,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 181,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 181,000 tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 61,000 tonnes, 3.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 181,000 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 79,000 tonnes, 2.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 27,056 tonnes | 14,300 tonnes | 38,200 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 65,847 tonnes | 47,000 tonnes | 74,900 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 68,079 tonnes | 51,400 tonnes | 88,600 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 59,591 tonnes | 41,340 tonnes | 74,100 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 59,047 tonnes | 41,190 tonnes | 74,290 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 146,500 tonnes | 85,000 tonnes | 231,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 181,000 tonnes | 181,000 tonnes | 181,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 68 Sweden 196,000 tonnes compare
- 69 Papua New Guinea 190,000 tonnes compare
- 70 Saudi Arabia 182,000 tonnes compare
- 72 Finland 179,000 tonnes compare
- 73 Uzbekistan 172,000 tonnes compare
- 74 Zambia 168,000 tonnes compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish and seafood production in Malawi?
- Fish and seafood production in Malawi was 181,000 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 231,000 tonnes in 2018.
- What is the lowest fish and seafood production recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,300 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for fish and seafood production?
- Malawi ranks 71st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fish and seafood production rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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).