Aquatic Plants Consumption by Country

In 2023, China held 22,094 thousand tonnes of listed aquatic plants food supply, 92.6 percent of a total of 23,871 thousand tonnes shared with a single other reporter, South Korea at 1,777 thousand tonnes. Both reporters show the same listed quantity as in 2022, leaving the total quantity unchanged; per-capita values differ slightly because they account for population. South Korea recorded the highest per-capita figure at 34.35 kilograms per person per year. The series spans 2019 through 2023.

China leads at 22,094 thousand tonnes, 12.43 times South Korea at 1,777. Per capita the order reverses: South Korea at 34.35 kilograms per person per year, then China at 15.53 kilograms.

Aquatic Plants Food Supply at a Glance

• China had the largest listed aquatic plants food supply in 2023 at 22,094 thousand tonnes.
• South Korea ranked second at 1,777 thousand tonnes.
• South Korea had the highest per-capita food supply at 34.35 kilograms per person per year.
• The listed total was 23,871 thousand tonnes across 2 reporters with reported values.
• Both reporters have data in 2019 and 2023: listed aquatic plants food supply increased by 1,517 thousand tonnes, or 6.8 percent.
• The FAO Food element measures food available for human consumption and is not a direct measure of the amount actually eaten.

Key Takeaways

This table has only two reporters, so every comparison is China against South Korea. China added 1,493 thousand tonnes (up 7.2 percent) between 2019 and 2023 while South Korea added 24 thousand tonnes (up 1.4 percent), leaving a net gain of 1,517 thousand tonnes. The 2022 and 2023 listed quantities are identical for both reporters, so the short window shows no measured quantity change.

Per capita, South Korea's 34.35 kilograms lead China's 15.53 kilograms, the reverse of the totals ranking. These figures represent food available for human consumption in the FAO Food Balances and should not be interpreted as the amount of aquatic plants actually eaten.

Aquatic Plants Consumption

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#	Country	2023 (thousand tonnes)2023	2023 (kg per person per year)2023
1	China CN	22.09K	15.53
2	South Korea KR	1.78K	34.35

Aquatic Plants Consumption by Country in 2023

The 2023 table holds China at 22,094 thousand tonnes (92.6 percent of the listed total) and South Korea at 1,777 thousand tonnes (7.4 percent). Because every 2023 quantity repeats 2022, this ranking describes both years at once.

No Measured Quantity Change Between 2022 and 2023: Both Reporters Repeat

Both reporters with data in 2022 and 2023 show the same listed quantity in both years, leaving the listed quantity unchanged at 23,871 thousand tonnes. Per-capita values differ slightly, because they are calculated on a population basis. The analysis below therefore focuses on the 2019 to 2023 quantity comparison, where values genuinely differ.

Listed Aquatic Plants Food Supply Grows 6.8 Percent Since 2019

Both reporters have data in 2019 and 2023: the listed food supply rose from 22,354 thousand tonnes to 23,871 thousand tonnes, a gain of 1,517 thousand tonnes (6.8 percent). China added 1,493 thousand tonnes (up 7.2 percent) and South Korea added 24 thousand tonnes (up 1.4 percent).

China contributes 98.4 percent of the five-year net increase. Per capita, South Korea's 34.35 kilograms lead China's 15.53 kilograms.

What Does the Aquatic Plants Food Supply Measure?

For FAO Food Balances, the figure used here is the FAO item Aquatic Plants recorded under the Food element as available for human consumption. It represents food available for human consumption during the reference year rather than a direct estimate of the amount of aquatic plants people actually ate. Fish and other aquatic animals recorded under separate items sit outside this figure.

The per-capita figure expresses the same food supply on a population basis, in kilograms per person per year. A country's total quantity and per-capita value therefore answer different questions: total quantity shows the size of the listed food supply, while the per-capita measure adjusts it for population.

Aquatic Plants Consumption by Country

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#	Country	2019 (1000 t)	2019 (kg/cap/yr)	2020 (1000 t)	2020 (kg/cap/yr)	2021 (1000 t)	2021 (kg/cap/yr)	2022 (1000 t)	2022 (kg/cap/yr)	2023 (1000 t)	2023 (kg/cap/yr)
1	China	20.6K	14.47	21.33K	14.95	22.09K	15.49	22.09K	15.5	22.09K	15.53
2	South Korea	1.75K	33.87	1.71K	32.98	1.78K	34.28	1.78K	34.33	1.78K	34.35

Aquatic Plants Consumption by Country: Quick Answer

In 2023, according to FAO Food Balances, China had the largest listed aquatic plants food supply, at 22,094 thousand tonnes, while South Korea ranked second at 1,777 thousand tonnes. South Korea had the highest per-capita aquatic plants food supply at 34.35 kilograms per person per year. From 2019 to 2023, the combined quantity increased by 1,517 thousand tonnes, or 6.8 percent. These FAO Food Balances figures represent food available for human consumption, not a direct measurement of aquatic plants actually eaten.

Methodology

Percentage changes use the corresponding value in the earlier year as the base. Yearly totals use FAO Food Balances food quantity (Element 5142, thousand tonnes), while the per-capita figures use food supply quantity (Element 645, kg/capita/year) for Aquatic Plants from 2019 through 2023. The Food element represents the quantity available for human consumption during the reference period. It is not a direct measure of the amount actually eaten, because food available for human consumption is not the same as actual dietary intake. No percentage change is shown where the base-year value is zero. The 2022 and 2023 quantity values are identical for both reporters with reported data in both years.

The reporter universe for this item contains 2 reporters. The tables list reporters only; aggregate rows such as World, regions and China (aggregate) are excluded, while China figures refer to the China reporter. For year-to-year comparisons, only reporters with values in both endpoint years are included in the arithmetic. A zero indicates a displayed value of zero, while an empty cell indicates that no value is available for that reporter and year.

Quantities of 1,000 thousand tonnes and above are shown as whole numbers; smaller quantities retain up to two decimals. FAO Food Balances primarily use official national statistics, with some data also estimated or imputed where applicable. The FAO dataset reports the Food element in thousand tonnes and food supply quantity in kilograms per capita per year. The listed total of 23,871 thousand tonnes is the sum of the 2 reporters with a reported 2023 value; it excludes aggregate rows and reporters without a 2023 value.