Global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in China
China: Global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed was 3.12 million tonnes in 2015. ◆ Volatile
Global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in China, 1950–2015
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
China recorded 3.12 million tonnes for global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in 2015. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.9% on the previous year and up 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in China peaked at 3.12 million tonnes in 2015 and was at its lowest, 212.52 tonnes, in 1950.
That places China 2nd out of 69 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 212.52 tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 297.88 tonnes | +40.2% |
| 1952 | 369.92 tonnes | +24.2% |
| 1953 | 369.86 tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1954 | 439.48 tonnes | +18.8% |
| 1955 | 481.17 tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1956 | 574.02 tonnes | +19.3% |
| 1957 | 533.25 tonnes | -7.1% |
| 1958 | 553.51 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1959 | 577.82 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1960 | 563.96 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1961 | 586.92 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1962 | 606.82 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1963 | 617.19 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1964 | 596.26 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 628.01 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1966 | 629 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 588.28 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 1968 | 628.56 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1969 | 622.42 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 545.56 tonnes | -12.3% |
| 1971 | 652.6 tonnes | +19.6% |
| 1972 | 740.28 tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1973 | 708.8 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1974 | 809.88 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1975 | 942.64 tonnes | +16.4% |
| 1976 | 969.2 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 981.4 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 2,946 tonnes | +200.1% |
| 1979 | 40,407 tonnes | +1271.8% |
| 1980 | 60,672 tonnes | +50.2% |
| 1981 | 76,427 tonnes | +26.0% |
| 1982 | 99,465 tonnes | +30.1% |
| 1983 | 122,913 tonnes | +23.6% |
| 1984 | 146,969 tonnes | +19.6% |
| 1985 | 188,999 tonnes | +28.6% |
| 1986 | 177,132 tonnes | -6.3% |
| 1987 | 246,027 tonnes | +38.9% |
| 1988 | 285,979 tonnes | +16.2% |
| 1989 | 322,460 tonnes | +12.8% |
| 1990 | 411,493 tonnes | +27.6% |
| 1991 | 537,368 tonnes | +30.6% |
| 1992 | 683,709 tonnes | +27.2% |
| 1993 | 1.06 million tonnes | +55.0% |
| 1994 | 1.11 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 1.34 million tonnes | +20.0% |
| 1996 | 1.58 million tonnes | +18.2% |
| 1997 | 1.92 million tonnes | +21.4% |
| 1998 | 2.19 million tonnes | +14.0% |
| 1999 | 1.99 million tonnes | -9.0% |
| 2000 | 2.08 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 2.22 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 2.21 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 2.51 million tonnes | +13.7% |
| 2004 | 2.44 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 2.59 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 2.53 million tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 2.53 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 2.38 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 2.23 million tonnes | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 2.52 million tonnes | +13.1% |
| 2011 | 2.64 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 2.74 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 2.73 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 2.87 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 3.12 million tonnes | +8.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 3.12 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 21,499 tonnes, 145.2× the median. (21 countries reporting)
- China's 3.12 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23,679 tonnes, 131.8× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +1271.8% | 2,946 tonnes | 40,407 tonnes |
| 1978 | +200.1% | 981.4 tonnes | 2,946 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 440.94 tonnes | 212.52 tonnes | 577.82 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 606.74 tonnes | 563.96 tonnes | 629 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 4,970 tonnes | 545.56 tonnes | 40,407 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 172,704 tonnes | 60,672 tonnes | 322,460 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.28 million tonnes | 411,493 tonnes | 2.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.37 million tonnes | 2.08 million tonnes | 2.59 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.77 million tonnes | 2.52 million tonnes | 3.12 million tonnes | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in China?
- Global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed in China was 3.12 million tonnes in 2015, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.12 million tonnes in 2015.
- What is the lowest global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 212.52 tonnes in 1950.
- How does China rank for global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed?
- China ranks 2nd out of 69 countries with data for 2015.
- Is global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Global aquaculture production and wild fish used for animal feed. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Some wild fish catch is processed into fishmeal and oils for animal feed – this is used for land-based livestock and fish farms (aquaculture). Efficiency improvements in aquaculture, and changes in the diets of farmed fish means production has increased rapidly, without increasing inputs from wild fish.