Wild fish catch by gear type in Namibia
Namibia: Wild fish catch by gear type was 185,451 tonnes in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
185,451 tonnes
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
22nd
of 111 countries
All-time high
234,039 tonnes
in 2003
All-time low
1,176 tonnes
in 1965
Years of data
54
1965–2018
Wild fish catch by gear type in Namibia, 1965–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 185,451 tonnes for wild fish catch by gear type in 2018.
The figure is up 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in Namibia peaked at 234,039 tonnes in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1,176 tonnes, in 1965.
Namibia ranks 22nd 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 Namibia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1,176 tonnes | — |
| 1966 | 1,296 tonnes | +10.2% |
| 1967 | 1,413 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1968 | 1,523 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1969 | 1,630 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1970 | 1,734 tonnes | +6.4% |
| 1971 | 1,835 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1972 | 1,933 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 2,028 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1974 | 2,120 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1975 | 3,685 tonnes | +73.8% |
| 1976 | 5,208 tonnes | +41.4% |
| 1977 | 6,692 tonnes | +28.5% |
| 1978 | 8,135 tonnes | +21.6% |
| 1979 | 9,539 tonnes | +17.3% |
| 1980 | 8,381 tonnes | -12.1% |
| 1981 | 8,411 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 8,438 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 8,463 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 8,484 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 7,557 tonnes | -10.9% |
| 1986 | 7,570 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 48,388 tonnes | +539.2% |
| 1988 | 46,662 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 28,487 tonnes | -39.0% |
| 1990 | 47,478 tonnes | +66.7% |
| 1991 | 51,283 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1992 | 125,759 tonnes | +145.2% |
| 1993 | 147,805 tonnes | +17.5% |
| 1994 | 153,567 tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 179,611 tonnes | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 181,559 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 169,584 tonnes | -6.6% |
| 1998 | 206,913 tonnes | +22.0% |
| 1999 | 211,854 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 217,539 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 212,692 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 198,040 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2003 | 234,039 tonnes | +18.2% |
| 2004 | 209,307 tonnes | -10.6% |
| 2005 | 187,864 tonnes | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 161,792 tonnes | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 140,095 tonnes | -13.4% |
| 2008 | 150,135 tonnes | +7.2% |
| 2009 | 151,679 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 155,005 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 183,044 tonnes | +18.1% |
| 2012 | 179,737 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 183,216 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 154,169 tonnes | -15.9% |
| 2015 | 175,335 tonnes | +13.7% |
| 2016 | 186,637 tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 185,504 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 185,451 tonnes | -0.0% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 185,451 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43,597 tonnes, 4.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 185,451 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,282 tonnes, 13.0× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wild fish catch by gear type in Namibia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +539.2% | 7,570 tonnes | 48,388 tonnes |
| 1992 | +145.2% | 51,283 tonnes | 125,759 tonnes |
| 1975 | +73.8% | 2,120 tonnes | 3,685 tonnes |
| 1990 | +66.7% | 28,487 tonnes | 47,478 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,408 tonnes | 1,176 tonnes | 1,630 tonnes | 5 |
| 1970s | 4,291 tonnes | 1,734 tonnes | 9,539 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 18,084 tonnes | 7,557 tonnes | 48,388 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 147,541 tonnes | 47,478 tonnes | 211,854 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 186,318 tonnes | 140,095 tonnes | 234,039 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 176,455 tonnes | 154,169 tonnes | 186,637 tonnes | 9 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More agriculture & rural data for Namibia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0699 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 340.78 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4913 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wild fish catch by gear type in Namibia?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in Namibia was 185,451 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 234,039 tonnes in 2003.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,176 tonnes in 1965.
- How does Namibia rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- Namibia ranks 22nd out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Namibia 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 — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).