Greece stood among the leading aquaculture producers in the European Union in 2024, contributing 127,493 tonnes of farmed aquatic organisms and representing 12.6% of the bloc’s total output, according to new Eurostat data.
Spain led all EU nations with 246,137 tonnes, accounting for 24.3% of total production. France came second at 181,434 tonnes, or 17.9% of the total. Greece ranked third, ahead of Italy at 9.7% and Poland at 4.3%. Together, these five countries produced just over two-thirds of the EU’s entire farmed output.
Greece holds strong as a top EU aquaculture producer
Greece also held a dominant position in two key Mediterranean species. The country farmed more than half of all gilthead seabream and more than half of all European seabass produced across the EU in 2024.
On a per capita basis, Greek production reached 26.9 lbs per person, well above the EU average of 4.96 lbs, reinforcing the country’s standing as one of Europe’s top aquaculture producers.
EU aquaculture output reached 1.0 million tonnes in 2024, valued at 4.6 billion euros. Both figures slipped from the year before, with volume falling 3.7% and value declining 3.6% compared to 2023.
Trout leads EU aquaculture value while mussels top volume
Mussels made up the largest share of EU production by weight, at 32.8% of the total. Trout followed at 17.2%, and gilthead seabream placed third at 10.0%. By value, the picture shifted. Trout ranked highest at 17.9% of all EU aquaculture value, seabass came second at 14.5%, and gilthead seabream placed third at 13.5%.
Spain dominated Mediterranean mussel farming, producing nearly three in every four tonnes across the EU. Blue mussels grown in Atlantic waters were led by France, which accounted for about half of the EU total.
Norway’s salmon dominance overshadows the entire EU sector
The EU’s share of global aquaculture output remains modest at roughly 0.9% of world production. Norway, a non-EU country, produced 1.6 million tonnes in 2024, almost all of it salmon, valued at 9.5 billion euros. That single country’s output surpassed the combined value of all EU aquaculture.
Per capita, EU production stood at 4.96 lbs in 2024, far below the global average of 36.2 lbs. Iceland reached 324.7 lbs per capita, and Norway hit 663.2 lbs per capita that same year. Eurostat data points to a considerable growth gap that the EU has yet to close.
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