Average annual price of sea scallops 2000-2019
Global seafood market
The global demand for seafood is on the rise. In 2018 the seafood market worldwide was valued at 129.7 billion U.S. dollars, and is projected to increase to 155.3 billion U.S. dollars by 2023. The country with the highest value of fish and fishery product exports in 2019 was the European Union, followed by China in fish exports.
Seafood consumption
Between 2014 and 2019 the average annual per capita consumption of seafood worldwide amounted to around 20 kilograms per year. In the United States, per capita consumption of fish and shellfish was about 16 pounds, or 7.3 kilograms per year, much less than the global average. American consumers seem to prefer meat, eggs, and dairy products when it comes to choosing a protein source. Only about 29 percent of Americans eat seafood, compared to 78 percent who eat meat.