A recent study conducted by WorldFish, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) reveals significant changes in fish consumption patterns in India from 2005 to 2021. The study indicates that India’s annual per capita fish consumption has risen from 4.9 kg to 8.89 kg during this period, driven by factors like increased income and rising prosperity. Moreover, among fish-eating populations, per capita annual fish consumption has increased by 66 percent, from 7.43 kg to 12.33 kg.
India’s fish production has more than doubled during the 2005-2021 period, reaching 14.164 million tonnes with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.63 percent. However, despite the significant increase in domestic fish production, there has been a notable surge in the quantity of imported fish and fishery products for domestic consumption, marking a 543 percent increase over the timeframe. Consequently, the total quantity of fish consumed in the domestic market has increased by 120 percent to 11.924 million tonnes.
While India has outperformed the World Bank’s lower-middle-income country group in terms of per capita fish consumption, it still lags behind the global average. The study highlights variations in fish consumption across different states in India, with Tripura having the highest proportion of fish consumers and Haryana the lowest. Additionally, the report underscores the increasing popularity of fish consumption among both genders and the narrowing gap between rural and urban areas in terms of fish consumption rates.
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