Wild fish catch by gear type in South Korea
South Korea: Wild fish catch by gear type was 659,111 tonnes in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
659,111 tonnes
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
11th
of 111 countries
All-time high
1.54 million tonnes
in 1984
All-time low
33,930 tonnes
in 1950
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Wild fish catch by gear type in South Korea, 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 South Korea stood at 659,111 tonnes.
The figure is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 31.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in South Korea peaked at 1.54 million tonnes in 1984 and was at its lowest, 33,930 tonnes, in 1950.
That places South Korea 11th out of 111 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wild fish catch by gear type in South Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 33,930 tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 47,017 tonnes | +38.6% |
| 1952 | 51,636 tonnes | +9.8% |
| 1953 | 49,791 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1954 | 53,532 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 1955 | 60,127 tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1956 | 82,779 tonnes | +37.7% |
| 1957 | 98,238 tonnes | +18.7% |
| 1958 | 109,559 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 1959 | 118,166 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 1960 | 122,145 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1961 | 147,520 tonnes | +20.8% |
| 1962 | 164,384 tonnes | +11.4% |
| 1963 | 188,788 tonnes | +14.8% |
| 1964 | 218,918 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 1965 | 246,810 tonnes | +12.7% |
| 1966 | 260,027 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1967 | 256,757 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 312,502 tonnes | +21.7% |
| 1969 | 340,572 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1970 | 330,687 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 1971 | 414,593 tonnes | +25.4% |
| 1972 | 486,381 tonnes | +17.3% |
| 1973 | 516,172 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1974 | 640,953 tonnes | +24.2% |
| 1975 | 627,648 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1976 | 776,600 tonnes | +23.7% |
| 1977 | 971,528 tonnes | +25.1% |
| 1978 | 1.06 million tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1979 | 1.16 million tonnes | +9.4% |
| 1980 | 1.22 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 1.34 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1982 | 1.29 million tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1983 | 1.47 million tonnes | +13.6% |
| 1984 | 1.54 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 1.39 million tonnes | -10.1% |
| 1986 | 1.45 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 1.13 million tonnes | -21.9% |
| 1988 | 1.18 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 1.21 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 1.27 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 1.05 million tonnes | -17.1% |
| 1992 | 1.10 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 1.21 million tonnes | +10.5% |
| 1994 | 1.22 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 1.21 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 1.36 million tonnes | +13.0% |
| 1997 | 1.13 million tonnes | -17.2% |
| 1998 | 1.04 million tonnes | -8.1% |
| 1999 | 1.04 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 947,678 tonnes | -9.1% |
| 2001 | 972,357 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 914,062 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 2003 | 891,425 tonnes | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 935,292 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 914,671 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 916,389 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 880,380 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 958,062 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2009 | 929,583 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 832,123 tonnes | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 990,306 tonnes | +19.0% |
| 2012 | 854,145 tonnes | -13.7% |
| 2013 | 835,408 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 886,612 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 754,386 tonnes | -14.9% |
| 2016 | 652,117 tonnes | -13.6% |
| 2017 | 696,812 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 659,111 tonnes | -5.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 659,111 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 47,385 tonnes, 13.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 659,111 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 464,776 tonnes, 1.4× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 70,478 tonnes | 33,930 tonnes | 118,166 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 225,842 tonnes | 122,145 tonnes | 340,572 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 698,681 tonnes | 330,687 tonnes | 1.16 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.32 million tonnes | 1.13 million tonnes | 1.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.16 million tonnes | 1.04 million tonnes | 1.36 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 925,990 tonnes | 880,380 tonnes | 972,357 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 795,669 tonnes | 652,117 tonnes | 990,306 tonnes | 9 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More agriculture & rural data for South Korea
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 0.2516 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0146 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 530.46 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1591 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1883 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wild fish catch by gear type in South Korea?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in South Korea was 659,111 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.54 million tonnes in 1984.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 33,930 tonnes in 1950.
- How does South Korea rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- South Korea ranks 11th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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 — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).