Washington, DC – In 2020, Americans ate 19 pounds of seafood per capita, down slightly from 19.3 pounds in 2019. The onset of COVID-19 brought significant disruption to traditional business operations and consumer behaviors. While restaurants were forced to shutter, there was an impressive up-tick in seafood purchases at retail but apparently not enough to find an equilibrium in the first full year of the pandemic.
With a reputation for versatility at home and in foodservice, Shrimp not only maintained the top spot but grew its number, reaching a record for the crustation at 5 pounds per person. Shelf stable stalwart Canned Tuna saw a jump in consumption, as did a variety of value white fish. Meanwhile, Scallops joined the Top Ten List.
The raw data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is historically retrospective, so pandemic-related market forces will likely only really be illustrated by data released over the next few years.
“The next Top Ten list could answer some long-held questions,” said NFI Programs Director, Richard Barry. “Keep in mind, experts at the Global Seafood Market Conference, in January, were busy mapping a predicted overall increase in pandemic-era seafood consumption and species diversification trends, so watch this space.”
| Rank | Species | 2020 (lbs/capita) |
| 1 | Shrimp | 5.00 |
| 2 | Salmon | 2.83 |
| 3 | Canned Tuna | 2.60 |
| 4 | Tilapia | 1.07 |
| 5 | Alaska Pollock | 0.88 |
| 6 | Cod | 0.57 |
| 7 | Crab | 0.52 |
| 8 | Catfish | 0.52 |
| 9 | Pangasius | 0.39 |
| 10 | Scallops | 0.22 |
| Per Capita Consumption | 19.0 | |
| Total Top 10 | 14.60 | |
| All Other Species Consumption | 4.40 | |
| Top 10 as % of Total Consumption | 77% |
NFI is the leading trade association for the seafood industry whose members represent a variety of businesses from the water to the table. For more information visit our website at www.AboutSeafood.com.
