Costa Rica: Aquaculture production (metric tons)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's aquaculture production (metric tons) fell 4,300 on 2023 (from 16,468 to 12,168).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +437.75 and a typical year strayed about 2,749 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 7,372 in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 5,777 in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1,116 a year. A straight line explains 84% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 9,313 for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 1,265, against 2,173 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, Costa Rica had the 82nd highest value of the 215 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Costa Rica in the 2024 ranking

• Moldova — 78th of 215: 12,757
• Argentina — 79th of 215: 12,175
• Afghanistan — 80th of 215: 12,170
• El Salvador — 82nd of 215: 11,868
• Bulgaria — 83rd of 215: 11,429
• Sweden — 84th of 215: 10,063

What this measures

Aquaculture is understood to mean the farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Aquaculture production specifically refers to output from aquaculture activities, which are designated for final harvest for consumption.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 65 values

Aquaculture production (metric tons) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 20 (2024)
• Argentina — 12,175 (2024)
• Aruba — 1.5 (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 1 (2024)
• Barbados — 5.5 (2024)
• Belize — 270.97 (2024)
• Bolivia — 17,001 (2024)
• Brazil — 882,935 (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 1 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 90 (2024)
• Chile

More environment data for Costa Rica

• Population in largest city — 1.5 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 36.58% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 1.5 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 29.16% (2025)
• Rural population — 1.04 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 20.27% (2025)
• Urban population — 4.11 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 79.73% (2025)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 32,140 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Costa Rica's aquaculture production (metric tons)?

12,168 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How does Costa Rica rank?

82nd highest of 215 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in aquaculture production (metric tons) unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2024, Costa Rica's aquaculture production (metric tons) fell 4,300 on 2023 (from 16,468 to 12,168). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +437.75 and a typical year strayed about 2,749 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ER.FSH.AQUA.MT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Food and Agriculture Organization., Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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