Fish and seafood production in Rwanda
Rwanda: Fish and seafood production was 42,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
42,000 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
113th
of 192 countries
All-time high
42,000 tonnes
in 2021
All-time low
500 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fish and seafood production in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda stood at 42,000 tonnes. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 75.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish and seafood production in Rwanda peaked at 42,000 tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 500 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Rwanda 113th 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 500 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 700 tonnes | +40.0% |
| 1965 | 700 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 700 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 800 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1968 | 800 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 800 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 900 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1971 | 900 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 800 tonnes | -11.1% |
| 1973 | 1,000 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1974 | 1,370 tonnes | +37.0% |
| 1975 | 1,200 tonnes | -12.4% |
| 1976 | 1,010 tonnes | -15.8% |
| 1977 | 1,320 tonnes | +30.7% |
| 1978 | 730 tonnes | -44.7% |
| 1979 | 970 tonnes | +32.9% |
| 1980 | 1,220 tonnes | +25.8% |
| 1981 | 980 tonnes | -19.7% |
| 1982 | 1,240 tonnes | +26.5% |
| 1983 | 1,250 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 830 tonnes | -33.6% |
| 1985 | 950 tonnes | +14.5% |
| 1986 | 1,550 tonnes | +63.2% |
| 1987 | 1,690 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1988 | 1,330 tonnes | -21.3% |
| 1989 | 1,520 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1990 | 2,510 tonnes | +65.1% |
| 1991 | 3,560 tonnes | +41.8% |
| 1992 | 3,700 tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 3,550 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 3,460 tonnes | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 3,380 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 3,050 tonnes | -9.8% |
| 1997 | 4,550 tonnes | +49.2% |
| 1998 | 6,770 tonnes | +48.8% |
| 1999 | 6,730 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 7,000 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 7,260 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 7,610 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 8,430 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2004 | 8,210 tonnes | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 6,850 tonnes | -16.6% |
| 2006 | 7,740 tonnes | +13.0% |
| 2007 | 9,250 tonnes | +19.5% |
| 2008 | 11,650 tonnes | +25.9% |
| 2009 | 11,610 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 13,000 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 17,000 tonnes | +30.8% |
| 2012 | 19,000 tonnes | +11.8% |
| 2013 | 24,000 tonnes | +26.3% |
| 2014 | 27,000 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2015 | 31,000 tonnes | +14.8% |
| 2016 | 27,000 tonnes | -12.9% |
| 2017 | 28,000 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 28,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 25,000 tonnes | -10.7% |
| 2020 | 37,000 tonnes | +48.0% |
| 2021 | 42,000 tonnes | +13.5% |
| 2022 | 42,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 42,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 42,000 tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 61,000 tonnes, 69% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 42,000 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 79,000 tonnes, 53% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 666.67 tonnes | 500 tonnes | 800 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,020 tonnes | 730 tonnes | 1,370 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,256 tonnes | 830 tonnes | 1,690 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,126 tonnes | 2,510 tonnes | 6,770 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 8,561 tonnes | 6,850 tonnes | 11,650 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 23,900 tonnes | 13,000 tonnes | 31,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 40,750 tonnes | 37,000 tonnes | 42,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More agriculture & rural data for Rwanda
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.203 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 228.16 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6953 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6909 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 20.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 20.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish and seafood production in Rwanda?
- Fish and seafood production in Rwanda was 42,000 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 42,000 tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest fish and seafood production recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 500 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Rwanda rank for fish and seafood production?
- Rwanda ranks 113th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fish and seafood production rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 75.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda 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).