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About 37.7% of assessed marine fish stocks were classed as biologically unsustainable in 2021, according to the United Nations’ 2024 SDG 14 report. That is the most recent stock-count figure in official UN reporting. Measured by catch instead, FAO’s SOFIA 2026 release puts the share of 2023 landings from unsustainable stocks at 27.4%. The two numbers answer different questions, and the gap between them matters for how you read either one.
Two measures, two different questions
“Proportion of fish stocks” can mean two things. The first is a count: of all the marine stocks that scientists assess, what share are in poor biological condition? Each stock counts equally, whether it is a small coastal population or a large industrial fishery. The second is a catch-weighted share: of all the fish landed, what share came from stocks in good condition? Large, productive stocks carry more weight in this measure because they produce more fish.
Because a few big stocks can dominate landings, the catch-weighted share of sustainable fishing is usually higher than the stock-count share. A higher landings figure does not mean most stocks are healthy.
The figures at a glance
| Measure | Year | Biologically sustainable | Biologically unsustainable | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of assessed stocks (count) | 2021 | 62.3% | 37.7% | UN Statistics Division, SDG 14 report (2024) |
| Share of assessed stocks (count) | 2021 | 64.5% | 35.5% (implied) | FAO, SDG Indicator 14.4.1 page |
| Share of landings | 2021 | 77.2% | 22.8% (implied) | FAO, SDG Indicator 14.4.1 page |
| Share of landings | 2021 | approximately 76.9% | approximately 23.1% (implied) | UN Statistics Division, SDG 14 report (2024) |
| Share of landings | 2023 | 72.6% | 27.4% (implied) | FAO, SOFIA 2026 release (published 16 June 2026) |
The “implied” figures are simple complements of the sustainable share each source reports. Only the sustainable shares were published directly.
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Why the 2021 stock-count figures differ
Two official sources report slightly different stock-count values for the same year. The UN report gives 62.3% sustainable (37.7% unsustainable). The FAO indicator page gives 64.5% sustainable for 2021. The gap is most likely a difference in source and compilation rather than a change in the fish, but neither publication’s methodology note is reproduced here, so the exact cause is not established. Cite the source you use and do not average the two.
The landings figures show a similar pattern: FAO reports 77.2% sustainable for 2021, while the UN report gives approximately 76.9%.
Regional differences are large
Global averages hide wide variation. The table below gives the 2021 unsustainable share by region as reported in each source. The two sources use different area groupings and rounding, so the values are not interchangeable.
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| Region | UN SDG 14 report (2021) | FAO indicator summary (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Pacific | 66.7% | 64.9% (FAO area 87) |
| Mediterranean and Black Sea | 62.5% | 53.6% (FAO area 37) |
| Northwest Pacific | 56.0% | 52.3% (FAO area 61) |
| Eastern Central Atlantic | 51.3% | 47.1% (FAO area 34) |
| Eastern Central Pacific, Northeast Atlantic, Northeast Pacific, Southwest Pacific | 16% to 24% (range across the four areas) | 8% to 27% (range across the four areas) |
The Southeast Pacific is the most affected region in both sources. The four areas at the bottom of the range are much healthier, but no single area-by-area breakdown for them is stated in the sources cited here.
What “overfished” means in these statistics
The term is a biological classification, not a judgment about fishing practices. FAO’s SDG indicator 14.4.1 covers marine capture fisheries and classifies a stock by its abundance. A stock at or above the level that can produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is biologically sustainable. A stock below that level is biologically unsustainable. The UN report treats underfished and maximally sustainably fished stocks as sustainable, and overfished stocks as unsustainable.
Two things follow. A stock can be classed as unsustainable without being near collapse, and a stock classed as sustainable may still be harvested in ways that matter for other species and habitats. These statistics do not measure those effects.
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Reading the newest figure correctly
The newest number is a landings figure for 2023. It is not a 2023 count of stocks. The FAO SOFIA 2026 release also publishes a 2023 regional map, but a global 2023 stock-count percentage is not established in the sources cited here. Do not infer one from the landings share: 27.4% of landings from unsustainable stocks does not mean 27.4% of stocks are overfished, and the 2021 stock count (37.7%) cannot be carried forward to 2023.
For the current stock-count series, check the full SOFIA 2026 report and its downloadable data.
How to cite these figures
- Name the measure first: “share of assessed stocks” or “share of landings.”
- Give the year. The stock-count figure is 2021; the landings figure is 2023.
- Name the source. Where the UN and FAO differ, attribute each number to its own publication.
- Keep the complement labelled. Write “37.7% of stocks were biologically unsustainable in 2021,” not “37.7% of fish were overfished.”
Reference points for each source: FAO, “SOFIA 2026: Global fisheries and aquaculture production reaches new highs” (16 June 2026); FAO, SDG Indicator 14.4.1, “Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels”; United Nations Statistics Division, “SDG 14 – Life Below Water,” 2024 SDG report.
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