Fish seafood production in South Africa
South Africa: Fish seafood production was 493,000 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
493,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
43rd
of 192 countries
All-time high
2.11 million
in 1968
All-time low
423,000
in 2013
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fish seafood production in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, fish seafood production in South Africa stood at 493,000.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish seafood production in South Africa peaked at 2.11 million in 1968 and was at its lowest, 423,000, in 2013.
South Africa ranks 43rd of 192 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Fish seafood production in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.01 million | — |
| 1962 | 1.06 million | +5.0% |
| 1963 | 1.17 million | +10.2% |
| 1964 | 1.22 million | +4.7% |
| 1965 | 1.32 million | +8.0% |
| 1966 | 1.34 million | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 1.66 million | +24.2% |
| 1968 | 2.11 million | +27.1% |
| 1969 | 1.86 million | -11.9% |
| 1970 | 1.22 million | -34.4% |
| 1971 | 1.18 million | -3.3% |
| 1972 | 1.14 million | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 1.36 million | +19.3% |
| 1974 | 1.43 million | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 1.37 million | -4.3% |
| 1976 | 1.17 million | -14.7% |
| 1977 | 966,060 | -17.2% |
| 1978 | 1.01 million | +4.9% |
| 1979 | 996,830 | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 854,810 | -14.2% |
| 1981 | 863,510 | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 823,230 | -4.7% |
| 1983 | 935,880 | +13.7% |
| 1984 | 735,510 | -21.4% |
| 1985 | 776,920 | +5.6% |
| 1986 | 821,410 | +5.7% |
| 1987 | 1.43 million | +73.8% |
| 1988 | 1.30 million | -8.8% |
| 1989 | 878,410 | -32.6% |
| 1990 | 538,200 | -38.7% |
| 1991 | 501,180 | -6.9% |
| 1992 | 696,630 | +39.0% |
| 1993 | 566,390 | -18.7% |
| 1994 | 527,880 | -6.8% |
| 1995 | 579,660 | +9.8% |
| 1996 | 444,660 | -23.3% |
| 1997 | 518,630 | +16.6% |
| 1998 | 564,980 | +8.9% |
| 1999 | 592,160 | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 646,390 | +9.2% |
| 2001 | 753,320 | +16.5% |
| 2002 | 770,000 | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 826,710 | +7.4% |
| 2004 | 891,210 | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 820,560 | -7.9% |
| 2006 | 621,650 | -24.2% |
| 2007 | 681,550 | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 648,250 | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 515,720 | -20.4% |
| 2010 | 632,000 | +22.5% |
| 2011 | 537,000 | -15.0% |
| 2012 | 707,000 | +31.7% |
| 2013 | 423,000 | -40.2% |
| 2014 | 601,000 | +42.1% |
| 2015 | 571,000 | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 618,000 | +8.2% |
| 2017 | 529,000 | -14.4% |
| 2018 | 566,000 | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 448,000 | -20.8% |
| 2020 | 602,000 | +34.4% |
| 2021 | 493,000 | -18.1% |
| 2022 | 493,000 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 493,000 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.42 million | 1.01 million | 2.11 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.18 million | 966,060 | 1.43 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 941,960 | 735,510 | 1.43 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 553,037 | 444,660 | 696,630 | 10 |
| 2000s | 717,536 | 515,720 | 891,210 | 10 |
| 2010s | 563,200 | 423,000 | 707,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 520,250 | 493,000 | 602,000 | 4 |
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 seafood production in South Africa?
- Fish seafood production in South Africa was 493,000 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish seafood production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.11 million in 1968.
- What is the lowest fish seafood production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 423,000 in 2013.
- How does South Africa rank for fish seafood production?
- South Africa ranks 43rd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fish seafood production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fish 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).