Fishing fleet — Vessels in Australia

Australia: Fishing fleet — Vessels was 41,075 Gross tonnage in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
41,075 Gross tonnage
Change on year
down 6.1%
World rank
21st
of 28 countries
All-time high
77,973 Gross tonnage
in 1999
All-time low
31,932 Gross tonnage
in 2009
Years of data
21
1995–2022

Fishing fleet — Vessels in Australia, 1995–2022

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k1995200820221995: 68.2k Gross tonnage1996: 60.7k Gross tonnage1998: 67.7k Gross tonnage1999: 78.0k Gross tonnage2006: 63.6k Gross tonnage2007: 53.5k Gross tonnage2008: 48.8k Gross tonnage2009: 31.9k Gross tonnage2010: 36.4k Gross tonnage2011: 34.9k Gross tonnage2012: 35.4k Gross tonnage2013: 35.7k Gross tonnage2014: 40.7k Gross tonnage2015: 53.9k Gross tonnage2016: 64.6k Gross tonnage2017: 40.6k Gross tonnage2018: 39.4k Gross tonnage2019: 53.3k Gross tonnage2020: 59.1k Gross tonnage2021: 43.8k Gross tonnage2022: 41.1k Gross tonnage

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Gross tonnage.

Analysis

In 2022, fishing fleet — vessels in Australia stood at 41,075 Gross tonnage.

That represents a change of down 6.1% on the previous year and up 16.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fishing fleet — vessels in Australia peaked at 77,973 Gross tonnage in 1999 and was at its lowest, 31,932 Gross tonnage, in 2009.

That places Australia 21st out of 28 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Fishing fleet — Vessels in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Fishing fleet — Vessels in Australia, 1995 to 2022.
Year Gross tonnage Change
1995 68,182 Gross tonnage
1996 60,732 Gross tonnage -10.9%
1998 67,682 Gross tonnage +11.4%
1999 77,973 Gross tonnage +15.2%
2006 63,555 Gross tonnage -18.5%
2007 53,458 Gross tonnage -15.9%
2008 48,828 Gross tonnage -8.7%
2009 31,932 Gross tonnage -34.6%
2010 36,365 Gross tonnage +13.9%
2011 34,931 Gross tonnage -3.9%
2012 35,360 Gross tonnage +1.2%
2013 35,713 Gross tonnage +1.0%
2014 40,741 Gross tonnage +14.1%
2015 53,948 Gross tonnage +32.4%
2016 64,623 Gross tonnage +19.8%
2017 40,648 Gross tonnage -37.1%
2018 39,367 Gross tonnage -3.2%
2019 53,259 Gross tonnage +35.3%
2020 59,120 Gross tonnage +11.0%
2021 43,751 Gross tonnage -26.0%
2022 41,075 Gross tonnage -6.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 68,642 Gross tonnage 60,732 Gross tonnage 77,973 Gross tonnage 4
2000s 49,443 Gross tonnage 31,932 Gross tonnage 63,555 Gross tonnage 4
2010s 43,496 Gross tonnage 34,931 Gross tonnage 64,623 Gross tonnage 10
2020s 47,982 Gross tonnage 41,075 Gross tonnage 59,120 Gross tonnage 3

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 18 Ireland 69,891 Gross tonnage compare
  2. 19 Greece 65,527 Gross tonnage compare
  3. 20 Germany 55,262 Gross tonnage compare
  4. 22 Sweden 25,937 Gross tonnage compare
  5. 23 Costa Rica 19,013 Gross tonnage compare
  6. 24 Finland 14,692 Gross tonnage compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is fishing fleet — vessels in Australia?
Fishing fleet — vessels in Australia was 41,075 Gross tonnage in 2022, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest fishing fleet — vessels recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 77,973 Gross tonnage in 1999.
What is the lowest fishing fleet — vessels recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 31,932 Gross tonnage in 2009.
How does Australia rank for fishing fleet — vessels?
Australia ranks 21st out of 28 countries with data for 2022.
Is fishing fleet — vessels rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Fishing fleet — Vessels. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Fishing fleet — Vessels in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/fishing-fleet-vessels/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Fishing fleet — Vessels
Unit
Gross tonnage
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
38 places, 883 data points, 1995–2022
Last refreshed

The dataset covers the number and gross tonnage of national active fishing vessels—vessels that, at the time of reporting, are active and engaged solely in catching operations. This includes all types of vessels: industrial and artisanal, motorized and unmotorized, decked and undecked, fishing in marine and inland waters. Data are broken down by length classes, expressed in meters. The unit of measure ‘Vessels’ should be read as ‘Number of vessels’. Fishing fleet - General notes Fishing fleet - Notes on individual countries and areas