Per capita seafood consumption

In 2025, per capita seafood consumption in the United States is estimated to reach 16.5 pounds, reflecting a marginal contraction of 0.2% from the previous year. Continued inflationary pressures in 2024 and 2025 have curtailed disposable incomes, leading consumers to become increasingly cautious with their food purchases. Higher production and transportation costs, driven in part by elevated fuel prices, have contributed to rising retail seafood prices, thereby constraining demand for these relatively expensive protein sources compared with alternatives such as poultry.

During the period from 2020 to 2025, seafood consumption exhibited a volatile pattern primarily influenced by macroeconomic disruptions and shifting consumer behavior. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to significant supply chain disruptions and a 10.0% decline in seafood landings, which, in turn, resulted in a 2.7% contraction in per capita seafood consumption in 2020. As economic activities resumed in 2021, a rebound in consumer spending and the reopening of foodservice establishments led to a sharp 8.2% increase in per capita consumption to 17.0 pounds. However, subsequent years saw renewed downward pressure. Global inflation intensified in 2022, reflected in higher transportation and input costs, which increased retail seafood prices. That year, per capita seafood consumption fell by 1.0%. Global oil prices escalated, raising costs for transportation and seafood processing. Diminished disposable income in 2022 further reduced demand, with consumers increasingly favoring less expensive sources of protein. The declining trend continued through 2023, when seafood consumption decreased by 1.6% as economic headwinds persisted.

Over the five-year period, the variable trajectory of seafood consumption has underscored the sensitivity of demand to macroeconomic trends, including inflation, shifts in consumer incomes, and fuel costs. Episodes of economic recovery tended to bolster seafood demand, while inflationary pressures and higher production costs resulted in contracted consumption. The continued prioritization of affordability among households—particularly during periods of real income compression—has shaped the trajectory of seafood consumption during this interval. Furthermore, supply-side factors such as strong US fishery landings generally helped moderate price increases when broader input costs were more stable. Overall, per capita seafood consumption recorded modest annual growth rate of 1.0% from 2020 to 2025.