The Country That Eats The Most Fish By A Long Shot

Many of us love fish and seafood. Tender, briny, and basking in the fresh flavors of the ocean (or lake or river), everything from shellfish to salmon possesses the power to please our palates and fill our bellies. It's no wonder that the global seafood industry is worth $671 billion as of 2025 and is expected to continue growing by 6.35% each year (via Statista).

Practically every culture on earth has its own culinary connection to the bounty of the sea, but when it comes to the country that eats the most fish total? That distinction belongs to China, and there's no competition. According to data collected by the World Population Review, the population of China consumes a whopping 60,541 tons of the stuff annually — putting it at a major lead ahead of the second-most seafood loving nation, India, which consumes 12,554 tons of seafood each year. Needless to say, of all the nations involved in the global fish trade, China also generates the most revenue: $104 billion this year alone.

Although India has surpassed China as the most populated country on the planet, Chinese cuisine is traditionally much more fish-forward, so it makes sense that, despite having a slightly smaller population, it blows its neighbor out of the water in the seafood-eating department. If you're wondering where the United States falls on the fish scale (pun fully intended), we come in at number four, following Indonesia, with a consumption rate of 7,537 tons each year.

While China's fish consumption as a whole can't be beat due to the sheer volume of its seafood-loving population, when it comes to per capita consumption, well, that's a whole other story. According to the report from the World Population Review, the citizens of Iceland actually eat the most fish individually. Compared to China's 41.5 kilograms per capita, Iceland's is more than double, coming in at 87.1 kilograms.

It's a pretty big jump, but hardly a surprising one. After all, Iceland, which is the second largest island in Europe behind Great Britain, is surrounded by water, and the fishing industry has long been one of the key pillars of its economy. According to a 2021 report by Responsible Fisheries, the Icelandic fish trade contributes around 8.1% to the country's GDP directly, with marine product exports amounting to more than 600,000 metric tons in 2020. Of that market, cod is by far the most valuable, as it accounts for 49% of all Icelandic fish exports.

Indeed, fish and seafood are staples of Icelandic cuisine. Its national dish is none other than the famously potent delicacy dubbed hákarl, aka fermented shark, which has become something of a badge of honor to eat among daring foodies. Other popular foods in Iceland include harðfiskur, a dried fish snack, and plokkfiskur, a traditional fish stew consisting of mashed cod. With so much seafood at their fingertips (and therefore, as part of their diets), Icelanders consuming the most fish per capita totally checks out.