Aquaculture in Europe - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2030)

Aquaculture in Europe

Industry Revenue

Total value and annual change from 2012-2030. Includes 5-year outlook.

Aquaculture in Europe market size (2020-2025)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €42.9bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Aquaculture production volumes are sinking in the EU despite strong government support

• According to the FAO, aquaculture is among the fastest-growing food industries in the world. However, in Europe, industry growth has been stunted by growing environmental regulations and growing competition with other activities. According to the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), EU aquaculture production volume grew by 13% between 2013 and 2022. However, most of the growth took place between 2015 and 2017 and production volumes started to fall in 2021. At the same time, aquaculture has continued to grow rapidly in other regions, particularly Asia and Africa, where aquaculture production has grown at an average annual rate of 8% between 1990 and 2022, according to data from the FAO. This puts European aquaculture companies at a disadvantage, as companies in Asia and Africa increasingly benefit from economies of scale. This allows them to offer lower, more competitive prices than European seafood farmers.

Aquaculture in Europe outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Persistent cost pressures are set to continue boosting demand for aquaculture products

• Aquaculture has consistently eaten away at fisheries demand by offering generally cheaper alternatives to wild-caught seafood. This long-term trend is likely to continue, especially as many countries increase investment to support aquaculture production, making farmed seafood even more affordable as production costs fall in line with wider industry development. According to the European Commission, consumption of farmed seafood in the EU reached a decade-long high in 2022 at around 6.82 kilograms per capita. This is also in line with a 13% increase in aquaculture production volume in the EU between 2013 and 2022, according to Eurostat data. At the same time, consumption of wild-caught seafood sank to an average of 16.7 kilograms per person in the EU in 2022, the lowest level in a decade.

* CAGR values are for the years 2020-2025.

Biggest companies in the Aquaculture in Europe

Aquaculture in Europe

Products & Services Segmentation

Industry revenue broken down by key product and services lines.

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