Wild fish catch by gear type in Japan
Japan: Wild fish catch by gear type was 418,239 tonnes in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
418,239 tonnes
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
15th
of 111 countries
All-time high
3.98 million tonnes
in 1972
All-time low
407,289 tonnes
in 2017
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Wild fish catch by gear type in Japan, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2018, wild fish catch by gear type in Japan stood at 418,239 tonnes.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 58.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in Japan peaked at 3.98 million tonnes in 1972 and was at its lowest, 407,289 tonnes, in 2017.
Japan ranks 15th of 111 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wild fish catch by gear type in Japan, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 559,332 tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 556,136 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1952 | 554,006 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1953 | 558,934 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1954 | 594,278 tonnes | +6.3% |
| 1955 | 662,186 tonnes | +11.4% |
| 1956 | 665,190 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 733,223 tonnes | +10.2% |
| 1958 | 793,998 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1959 | 997,964 tonnes | +25.7% |
| 1960 | 1.39 million tonnes | +39.3% |
| 1961 | 1.55 million tonnes | +11.2% |
| 1962 | 1.45 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1963 | 1.26 million tonnes | -13.7% |
| 1964 | 1.47 million tonnes | +17.2% |
| 1965 | 1.48 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 1.56 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1967 | 2.41 million tonnes | +54.8% |
| 1968 | 2.62 million tonnes | +8.5% |
| 1969 | 2.77 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1970 | 3.36 million tonnes | +21.3% |
| 1971 | 3.89 million tonnes | +15.6% |
| 1972 | 3.98 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 3.84 million tonnes | -3.5% |
| 1974 | 3.76 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 3.54 million tonnes | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 3.50 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 3.17 million tonnes | -9.4% |
| 1978 | 2.98 million tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1979 | 2.94 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 2.97 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 3.04 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 2.90 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 1983 | 2.96 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 3.14 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1985 | 2.91 million tonnes | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 2.31 million tonnes | -20.5% |
| 1987 | 1.95 million tonnes | -15.6% |
| 1988 | 2.16 million tonnes | +10.8% |
| 1989 | 2.16 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 2.19 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 2.03 million tonnes | -7.6% |
| 1992 | 1.97 million tonnes | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 1.69 million tonnes | -14.2% |
| 1994 | 1.59 million tonnes | -6.3% |
| 1995 | 1.55 million tonnes | -2.5% |
| 1996 | 1.46 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1997 | 1.43 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 1.42 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 1.38 million tonnes | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 1.27 million tonnes | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 1.21 million tonnes | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 1.21 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 1.15 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 1.06 million tonnes | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 971,551 tonnes | -8.4% |
| 2006 | 991,800 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 1.02 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 1.02 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 997,458 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 1.05 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 1.06 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.03 million tonnes | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 1.06 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 1.00 million tonnes | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 887,718 tonnes | -11.2% |
| 2016 | 815,070 tonnes | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 407,289 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2018 | 418,239 tonnes | +2.7% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 418,239 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 47,385 tonnes, 8.8× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Japan's 418,239 tonnes is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 464,776 tonnes, 90% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wild fish catch by gear type in Japan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +54.8% | 1.56 million tonnes | 2.41 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 667,525 tonnes | 554,006 tonnes | 997,964 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.80 million tonnes | 1.26 million tonnes | 2.77 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.50 million tonnes | 2.94 million tonnes | 3.98 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.65 million tonnes | 1.95 million tonnes | 3.14 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.67 million tonnes | 1.38 million tonnes | 2.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.09 million tonnes | 971,551 tonnes | 1.27 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 859,321 tonnes | 407,289 tonnes | 1.06 million tonnes | 9 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More agriculture & rural data for Japan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0096 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 323.87 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.0% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wild fish catch by gear type in Japan?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in Japan was 418,239 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.98 million tonnes in 1972.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 407,289 tonnes in 2017.
- How does Japan rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- Japan ranks 15th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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
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