Wild fish catch by gear type in Malta
Malta: Wild fish catch by gear type was 36,309 tonnes in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
36,309 tonnes
Change on year
down 33.4%
World rank
56th
of 111 countries
All-time high
59,888 tonnes
in 2000
All-time low
709.98 tonnes
in 1971
Years of data
48
1971–2018
Wild fish catch by gear type in Malta, 1971–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for wild fish catch by gear type in Malta is 36,309 tonnes, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.4% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in Malta peaked at 59,888 tonnes in 2000 and was at its lowest, 709.98 tonnes, in 1971.
That places Malta 56th out of 111 countries with data for 2018, putting it 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 Malta, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 709.98 tonnes | — |
| 1972 | 1,459 tonnes | +105.5% |
| 1973 | 2,739 tonnes | +87.7% |
| 1974 | 4,362 tonnes | +59.3% |
| 1975 | 6,203 tonnes | +42.2% |
| 1976 | 9,334 tonnes | +50.5% |
| 1977 | 12,733 tonnes | +36.4% |
| 1978 | 16,658 tonnes | +30.8% |
| 1979 | 17,989 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1980 | 9,667 tonnes | -46.3% |
| 1981 | 10,247 tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1982 | 11,218 tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1983 | 15,523 tonnes | +38.4% |
| 1984 | 17,089 tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1985 | 11,036 tonnes | -35.4% |
| 1986 | 13,154 tonnes | +19.2% |
| 1987 | 14,039 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 15,330 tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1989 | 13,249 tonnes | -13.6% |
| 1990 | 12,091 tonnes | -8.7% |
| 1991 | 29,410 tonnes | +143.2% |
| 1992 | 26,543 tonnes | -9.7% |
| 1993 | 30,080 tonnes | +13.3% |
| 1994 | 25,458 tonnes | -15.4% |
| 1995 | 31,888 tonnes | +25.3% |
| 1996 | 23,680 tonnes | -25.7% |
| 1997 | 33,455 tonnes | +41.3% |
| 1998 | 42,932 tonnes | +28.3% |
| 1999 | 48,448 tonnes | +12.8% |
| 2000 | 59,888 tonnes | +23.6% |
| 2001 | 55,316 tonnes | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 55,614 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 42,428 tonnes | -23.7% |
| 2004 | 34,366 tonnes | -19.0% |
| 2005 | 28,952 tonnes | -15.8% |
| 2006 | 28,932 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 33,167 tonnes | +14.6% |
| 2008 | 39,138 tonnes | +18.0% |
| 2009 | 49,650 tonnes | +26.9% |
| 2010 | 54,331 tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2011 | 54,337 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 54,870 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 54,602 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 54,558 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 54,596 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 54,558 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 54,529 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 36,309 tonnes | -33.4% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 36,309 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 47,385 tonnes, 77% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Malta's 36,309 tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11,256 tonnes, 3.2× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8,021 tonnes | 709.98 tonnes | 17,989 tonnes | 9 |
| 1980s | 13,055 tonnes | 9,667 tonnes | 17,089 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 30,398 tonnes | 12,091 tonnes | 48,448 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 42,745 tonnes | 28,932 tonnes | 59,888 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 52,521 tonnes | 36,309 tonnes | 54,870 tonnes | 9 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More agriculture & rural data for Malta
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0047 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 224.75 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0432 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wild fish catch by gear type in Malta?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in Malta was 36,309 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 59,888 tonnes in 2000.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 709.98 tonnes in 1971.
- How does Malta rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- Malta ranks 56th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malta 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 — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).