Bangladesh has maintained its standing as the world’s second‑largest producer of inland capture fisheries, while also ranking among the top five aquaculture‑producing nations in 2024, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s latest report.
The FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 notes that global fisheries and aquaculture output hit a record 235 million tonnes in 2024 — 195 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 40 million tonnes of algae. This represented a 5.2 per cent rise from 2022, with first‑sale value estimated at $565 billion.
Marine waters contributed 67 per cent of total production, split almost evenly between capture fisheries (51 per cent) and aquaculture (49 per cent). Inland waters accounted for the remaining 33 per cent, of which aquaculture made up 84 per cent.
Asia remained the dominant producer, responsible for 76 per cent of global output. Latin America and the Caribbean followed with 8 percent, Europe 7 percent, Africa 6 percent, Northern America 2 percent and Oceania 1 percent.
Aquatic animal production alone reached 195 million tonnes, valued at $545 billion, with aquaculture supplying 53 percent and capture fisheries 47 percent. Marine areas yielded 118 million tonnes, or 61 percent of the total, while inland waters produced 77 million tonnes, or 39 percent.
In inland capture fisheries, India led with 2.2 million tonnes, followed by Bangladesh at 1.4 million tonnes in 2024.
Global aquaculture production climbed to a record 142 million tonnes, worth $391 billion. Of this, 103 million tonnes were aquatic animals valued at $371 billion, while algae contributed 39 million tonnes worth $20 billion. Asia accounted for 92 percent of aquaculture output.
The five leading aquaculture nations — China, Indonesia, India, Viet Nam and Bangladesh — together generated 84 per cent of global production. China alone accounted for 56 percent of aquaculture animal output, followed by India (12 percent), Indonesia (6 percent), Viet Nam (5 percent) and Bangladesh (3 percent).
Nearly two‑thirds of aquaculture animal production came from inland waters, dominated by finfish at 89 percent. Crustaceans represented 9 percent, while turtles, frogs, molluscs and other invertebrates made up the remainder. Marine and coastal aquaculture produced 38 million tonnes, led by molluscs (53 percent), finfish (24 percent), crustaceans (22 percent) and other invertebrates (2 percent).
