Fish and seafood production in Namibia
Namibia: Fish and seafood production was 467,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
467,000 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
45th
of 192 countries
All-time high
790,370 tonnes
in 1993
All-time low
5,000 tonnes
in 1964
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fish and seafood production in Namibia, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, fish and seafood production in Namibia stood at 467,000 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish and seafood production in Namibia peaked at 790,370 tonnes in 1993 and was at its lowest, 5,000 tonnes, in 1964.
That places Namibia 45th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish and seafood production in Namibia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5,800 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 7,200 tonnes | +24.1% |
| 1963 | 5,900 tonnes | -18.1% |
| 1964 | 5,000 tonnes | -15.3% |
| 1965 | 5,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 5,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 5,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 5,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 5,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 6,500 tonnes | +30.0% |
| 1971 | 6,500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 6,500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 6,500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6,550 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 7,050 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1976 | 7,850 tonnes | +11.3% |
| 1977 | 8,750 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 1978 | 9,050 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 9,750 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1980 | 10,250 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1981 | 10,850 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1982 | 11,650 tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 12,100 tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 12,900 tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1985 | 13,700 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 14,920 tonnes | +8.9% |
| 1987 | 32,440 tonnes | +117.4% |
| 1988 | 33,390 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 21,220 tonnes | -36.4% |
| 1990 | 262,450 tonnes | +1136.8% |
| 1991 | 206,200 tonnes | -21.4% |
| 1992 | 655,130 tonnes | +217.7% |
| 1993 | 790,370 tonnes | +20.6% |
| 1994 | 649,250 tonnes | -17.9% |
| 1995 | 569,880 tonnes | -12.2% |
| 1996 | 517,880 tonnes | -9.1% |
| 1997 | 513,260 tonnes | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 607,880 tonnes | +18.4% |
| 1999 | 580,130 tonnes | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 589,890 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 548,030 tonnes | -7.1% |
| 2002 | 625,150 tonnes | +14.1% |
| 2003 | 637,870 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 571,320 tonnes | -10.4% |
| 2005 | 554,120 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 509,790 tonnes | -8.0% |
| 2007 | 413,670 tonnes | -18.9% |
| 2008 | 373,300 tonnes | -9.8% |
| 2009 | 379,380 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 382,000 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 412,000 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 2012 | 470,000 tonnes | +14.1% |
| 2013 | 486,000 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 444,000 tonnes | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 510,000 tonnes | +14.9% |
| 2016 | 516,000 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 502,000 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 490,000 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 467,000 tonnes | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 467,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 467,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 467,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 467,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 467,000 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 151,000 tonnes, 3.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 467,000 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 79,000 tonnes, 5.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish and seafood production in Namibia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +1136.8% | 21,220 tonnes | 262,450 tonnes |
| 1992 | +217.7% | 206,200 tonnes | 655,130 tonnes |
| 1987 | +117.4% | 14,920 tonnes | 32,440 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,433 tonnes | 5,000 tonnes | 7,200 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 7,500 tonnes | 6,500 tonnes | 9,750 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 17,342 tonnes | 10,250 tonnes | 33,390 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 535,243 tonnes | 206,200 tonnes | 790,370 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 520,252 tonnes | 373,300 tonnes | 637,870 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 467,900 tonnes | 382,000 tonnes | 516,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 467,000 tonnes | 467,000 tonnes | 467,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 42 Senegal 515,000 tonnes compare
- 43 South Africa 493,000 tonnes compare
- 44 Ghana 482,000 tonnes compare
- 46 Sri Lanka 431,000 tonnes compare
- 47 Mozambique 377,000 tonnes compare
- 48 Netherlands 367,000 tonnes compare
More agriculture & rural data for Namibia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0699 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 340.78 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4913 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish and seafood production in Namibia?
- Fish and seafood production in Namibia was 467,000 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 790,370 tonnes in 1993.
- What is the lowest fish and seafood production recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,000 tonnes in 1964.
- How does Namibia rank for fish and seafood production?
- Namibia ranks 45th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fish and seafood production rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Namibia 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).