Saudi Arabia: Aquaculture production (metric tons)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Saudi Arabia's aquaculture production (metric tons) rose 21,656 on 2023 (from 140,227 to 161,883).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +4,591 and a typical year strayed about 7,687 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 24,344 in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 10,298 in 2011. 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 upward, about 14,332 a year. A straight line explains 99% 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 193,395 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 16,872, against 26,162 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, Saudi Arabia had the 30th 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 Saudi Arabia in the 2024 ranking

• Colombia — 27th of 215: 210,520
• France — 28th of 215: 189,039
• Pakistan — 29th of 215: 174,338
• Canada — 31st of 215: 160,518
• Uzbekistan — 32nd of 215: 155,819
• Lao PDR — 33rd of 215: 153,504

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

• Afghanistan — 12,170 (2024)
• Algeria — 6,673 (2024)
• Bahrain — 63 (2024)
• Djibouti — 0 (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 1.6 million (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 709,391 (2024)
• Iraq — 15,535 (2024)
• Israel — 14,850 (2024)
• Jordan — 2,684 (2024)
• Kuwait — 461.24 (2024)
• Lebanon

More environment data for Saudi Arabia

• Population in largest city — 7.95 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 25.42% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 18.19 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 49.21% (2025)
• Rural population — 5.69 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 15.39% (2025)
• Urban population — 31.28 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 84.61% (2025)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 85,324 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Saudi Arabia's aquaculture production (metric tons)?

161,883 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How does Saudi Arabia rank?

30th highest of 215 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in aquaculture production (metric tons) unusual for Saudi Arabia?

In 2024, Saudi Arabia's aquaculture production (metric tons) rose 21,656 on 2023 (from 140,227 to 161,883). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +4,591 and a typical year strayed about 7,687 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

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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