'The EU Fish Market' has been published annually since 2014

EU Fish Market Report 2025: Consumers Opt for Cheaper Options as Prices Rise

EUROPEAN UNION
Wednesday, December 03, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

The European Commission has released the 2025 edition of the EU Fish Market report, revealing the latest trends in the European fisheries and aquaculture market.  

Based on data up to the start of 2025, the report shows that the market has experienced volatile prices, dynamic global supply conditions, and changing consumer behaviour. 

EU SUPPLY BALANCE FOR FISHERY AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS BY COMMODITY GROUP AND PRODUCTION METHOD (2023, LIVE WEIGHT EQUIVALENT, FOOD USE ONLY) Source: EUMOFA, based on EUROSTAT (online data codes: fish_ca_main, fish_aq2a and DS-045409) and FAO data. Details on the sources and on the methodological approach used for assessing the production method of imports and exports and the destination use of catches can be found in the Methodological background 

Europeans eating less fresh fish at home 

EU consumer spending on fishery and aquaculture products grew by 4% in 2024 compared to the previous year to €62.8 billion. This reflected primarily higher prices as overall consumption volume decreased. At home consumption of fresh fish fell by 5% in 2024.  EU countries with the highest consumption (Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Germany), continued the downward trend first seen in 2021. 

PER CAPITA APPARENT CONSUMPTION OF FISHERY AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS Source: EUMOFA, based on EUROSTAT (online data codes: fish_ca_main, fish_aq2a and DS-045409) and FAO data. Details on the sources and the methodological approach used for assessing the production method of imports and exports and the destination use of catches can be found in the Methodological Background 

Over the medium-term, the erosion of consumer purchasing power had a significant impact on consumption between 2020 and 2024. Prices for fishery and aquaculture products increased by more than 25% over that period, which remains, however, below that of other animal proteins. 

Household nominal expenditure on fishery and aquaculture products in 2024 (and variation from 2023)

Slight drop in trade with non-EU countries, but deficit gap is narrowing 

Imports totalled 5.9 million tonnes worth €29.9 billion, a 1% decrease in real-terms value and a slight 0,3% increase in volume compared to 2023. Exports grew slightly (1% to €8,25 billion), despite volumes hitting their lowest level since 2019 at 2,2 million tonnes. 

As a result, for the first time since 2018, the EU trade deficit narrowed, decreasing by 2% in 2024 to €21,61 billion. In comparison, the US deficit grew by 5% in 2024, while Japan’s fell by roughly 3%. 

Extra-EU trade balance for fishery and aquaculture products by preservation state (EUR billion, in real terms, baseline: 2020) 

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Intra EU-trade remains strong despite slight drop 

Intra-EU trade in fishery and aquaculture products is characterised by significant trade exchanges, although slowing in 2024, with the total volume and value down by 1% to 5,8 million tonnes and  €31,7 billion.

Evolution of intra-EU trade of fishery and aquaculture products (in real terms, base: 2020) 

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In 2024, the combined value of intra-EU sales of salmon and cod accounted for almost 40% of the total value of intra-EU trade flows of fishery and aquaculture products. The Netherlands is the Member State with the highest value of intra-EU trade, being a major point of entry for fishery and aquaculture products. 

Apparent consumption declines, self-sufficiency improves

The EU self-sufficiency rate (i.e. the capacity of EU countries to meet demand through their own production) rose for the first time since 2018, reaching 38.1%.  

Apparent consumption in the EU (the sum of catches, aquaculture production and imports minus exports) fell to 22.89 kg per capita in 2023, the lowest level recorded in ten years, and a 3% decrease compared to 2022. Consumption of wild products was 16.35 kg per capita, the lowest level in a decade, while consumption of farmed products was 6.53 kg per capita. Portugal remained the highest consumer per capita in Europe, at 53.61 kg in 2023.  

Self-sufficiency rate of some key species 

TUNA

SALMONIDS

GROUNDFISH

SMALL PELAGICS

Background 

“The EU Fish Market” has been published annually since 2014.

It is prepared by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), a market intelligence service of the European Union developed by the European Commission. EUMOFA works to increase market transparency and efficiency, analyses EU markets dynamics, and supports evidence-based policymaking. 

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