Based on an annual estimate of approximately 100,000,000,000, derived from FAO / Fishcount.org.uk (2022 data).
273,972,602
per day
11,415,525
per hour
190,258
per minute
3,170
per second
8,333,333,333
per month
62,434,058,396
so far this year (est.)
Aquaculture — the farming of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic organisms — supplied 51% of global aquatic animal production in 2022, according to FAO. An estimated 100 billion individual fish are farmed each year.
How much of global seafood now comes from aquaculture?
According to FAO, aquaculture supplied 51% of global aquatic animal production in 2022 — the first time farmed seafood has exceeded wild-capture production as a share of total output. Global aquaculture production reached 130.9 million tonnes that year, including 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals, with China producing approximately 60% of the farmed total.
China dominates global aquaculture, producing approximately 60% of the world's farmed fish and seafood. Other major producers include Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Norway (for Atlantic salmon), and Egypt. Asia as a whole accounts for around 92% of global aquaculture output by volume.
Based on annual estimates, approximately 100,000,000,000 farmed fish are fish farmed globally each year.
How many farmed fish are fish farmed per day?
Approximately 273,972,602 farmed fish are fish farmed per day worldwide, based on an annual estimate of 100,000,000,000.
How many farmed fish are fish farmed per second?
Approximately 3,170 farmed fish are fish farmed per second — equivalent to 190,258 per minute and 11,415,525 per hour.
Which region accounts for the largest share of farmed fish fish farmed?
Asia accounts for approximately 92% of global farmed fish fish farmed.
Which country produces the most farmed fish?
China is the largest farmed fish producer, producing ~60% of global output.
How much of global seafood now comes from aquaculture?
According to FAO, aquaculture supplied 51% of global aquatic animal production in 2022 — the first time farmed seafood has exceeded wild-capture production as a share of total output. Global aquaculture production reached 130.9 million tonnes that year, including 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals, with China producing approximately 60% of the farmed total.
Which country produces the most farmed fish?
China dominates global aquaculture, producing approximately 60% of the world's farmed fish and seafood. Other major producers include Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Norway (for Atlantic salmon), and Egypt. Asia as a whole accounts for around 92% of global aquaculture output by volume.
Context Beyond the Numbers
Aquaculture now supplies more than half of all seafood consumed globally, overtaking wild capture fisheries as the dominant source of seafood.
China produces approximately 60% of the world's farmed fish and seafood, making it by far the largest aquaculture nation.
Farmed salmon operations require significant quantities of wild-caught fish for feed — approximately 1-3 kg of wild fish per kg of farmed salmon produced.
Sea lice infestations are a chronic problem in salmon farming, requiring chemical treatments that can affect wild salmon populations in surrounding waters.
Farmed fish that escape aquaculture facilities can interbreed with wild populations, potentially weakening the genetic diversity that wild fish rely on for survival.
Filter feeders such as oysters, mussels, and clams have a net positive effect on water quality and require no supplemental feed, making them among the most sustainable animal foods.