Wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland
Greenland: Wild fish catch by gear type was 77,468 tonnes in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
77,468 tonnes
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
40th
of 111 countries
All-time high
84,654 tonnes
in 2016
All-time low
208.84 tonnes
in 1968
Years of data
51
1968–2018
Wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland, 1968–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2018, wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland stood at 77,468 tonnes.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 46.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland peaked at 84,654 tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 208.84 tonnes, in 1968.
Greenland ranks 40th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 208.84 tonnes | — |
| 1969 | 3,452 tonnes | +1553.1% |
| 1970 | 7,619 tonnes | +120.7% |
| 1971 | 10,281 tonnes | +34.9% |
| 1972 | 15,418 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1973 | 20,976 tonnes | +36.1% |
| 1974 | 26,974 tonnes | +28.6% |
| 1975 | 30,259 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 1976 | 28,176 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 24,860 tonnes | -11.8% |
| 1978 | 32,912 tonnes | +32.4% |
| 1979 | 20,304 tonnes | -38.3% |
| 1980 | 19,128 tonnes | -5.8% |
| 1981 | 26,324 tonnes | +37.6% |
| 1982 | 38,725 tonnes | +47.1% |
| 1983 | 29,927 tonnes | -22.7% |
| 1984 | 18,101 tonnes | -39.5% |
| 1985 | 28,144 tonnes | +55.5% |
| 1986 | 27,310 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 1987 | 18,098 tonnes | -33.7% |
| 1988 | 47,157 tonnes | +160.6% |
| 1989 | 78,415 tonnes | +66.3% |
| 1990 | 48,281 tonnes | -38.4% |
| 1991 | 14,273 tonnes | -70.4% |
| 1992 | 16,691 tonnes | +16.9% |
| 1993 | 18,892 tonnes | +13.2% |
| 1994 | 23,151 tonnes | +22.5% |
| 1995 | 31,486 tonnes | +36.0% |
| 1996 | 25,097 tonnes | -20.3% |
| 1997 | 28,207 tonnes | +12.4% |
| 1998 | 31,319 tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1999 | 45,288 tonnes | +44.6% |
| 2000 | 36,714 tonnes | -18.9% |
| 2001 | 39,942 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2002 | 42,422 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 42,953 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 42,347 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 44,120 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 46,467 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 41,835 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2008 | 53,018 tonnes | +26.7% |
| 2009 | 53,901 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 52,624 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 56,202 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 60,586 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 2013 | 65,635 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 2014 | 67,144 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 76,714 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2016 | 84,654 tonnes | +10.4% |
| 2017 | 77,121 tonnes | -8.9% |
| 2018 | 77,468 tonnes | +0.5% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 77,468 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 47,385 tonnes, 1.6× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 77,468 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54,562 tonnes, 1.4× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | +1553.1% | 208.84 tonnes | 3,452 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,831 tonnes | 208.84 tonnes | 3,452 tonnes | 2 |
| 1970s | 21,778 tonnes | 7,619 tonnes | 32,912 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 33,133 tonnes | 18,098 tonnes | 78,415 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 28,269 tonnes | 14,273 tonnes | 48,281 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 44,372 tonnes | 36,714 tonnes | 53,901 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 68,683 tonnes | 52,624 tonnes | 84,654 tonnes | 9 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
- 37 Taiwan 86,116 tonnes compare
- 38 Guinea 85,438 tonnes compare
- 39 Falkland Islands 81,978 tonnes compare
- 41 North Korea 72,377 tonnes compare
- 42 Mauritania 70,716 tonnes compare
- 43 Cape Verde 68,366 tonnes compare
More agriculture & rural data for Greenland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.03 % change on previous year (2023)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.6% (2023)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1143 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.6% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2018)
- Rural population 11.4% (2025)
- Rural population growth -2.2% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 16.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in Greenland was 77,468 tonnes in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 84,654 tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 208.84 tonnes in 1968.
- How does Greenland rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- Greenland ranks 40th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Wild fish catch by gear type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).