FAO released the latest edition of The Yearbook of Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics. For over seven decades, this publication has served as an authoritative and unique resource for stakeholders worldwide, offering globally recognized data essential for understanding key trends and developments in the sector.

This edition presents statistics up to 2022, with food balance sheets extending to 2021. Covering data as far back as 1950, these statistics, known as FishStat, are part of the longest-running statistical dataset ever published by FAO.

Total fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record of 223 million tonnes in 2022, comprising 185 million tonnes (83%) of aquatic animals and almost 38 million tonnes (17%) of algae. This represents an increase of almost 2% compared with 2021, which is largely due to the growth of aquaculture in Asia.

Asia accounted for 70% of the world's production of aquatic animals, followed by the Americas (12%), Europe (9%), Africa (7%) and Oceania (1%). For the first time, aquaculture was the major production source of aquatic animals with 94 million tonnes, accounting for 51% of the total production of aquatic animals, while capture fisheries, with 91 million tonnes, accounted for the remaining 49%. However, the share of aquaculture in total production differed across continents, accounting for 64% in Asia, 22% in the Americas, 20% in Europe, 18% in Africa and 13% in Oceania. If algae are included, the share of aquaculture in total production reached 59%.

China, India and Indonesia were the three major aquaculture producers in 2022, accounting for more than 70% of the total aquaculture production of aquatic animals. These three countries were also the three major capture producers in 2022 but accounted for less than 30% of total capture production of aquatic animals, highlighting that capture production is less concentrated than aquaculture production.

Download The Yearbook of Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics here.