Over 1 Billion Seafood Dishes Served Every Year in Italy
September 11, 2025 | 1 min to read
Italians are increasingly favoring seafood, making it the most popular protein on menus. With salmon nearly replacing pizza as a meal choice, the country’s traditional dishes like stockfish and clipfish highlight its appreciation for Norwegian seafood. In 2024, Italian restaurants, cafés, and takeaways served 1.1 billion seafood dishes, marking a 3 percent rise from the previous year, reflecting the nation’s growing culinary shift toward seafood.
More Italians are choosing seafood when eating out. Today, seafood has become the most popular protein on Italian menus.
Italy is one of Norway’s most important seafood markets. Here, salmon has almost overtaken pizza as a meal. Stockfish and clipfish also remain traditional dishes with deep roots, further cementing Italy’s love for Norwegian seafood. At the same time, Italians are more frequently opting for seafood in general when eating outside the home.
In 2024, 1.1 billion seafood dishes were served in Italian restaurants, cafés, and takeaway outlets—an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year.
To read more, please visit the Norwegian Seafood Council.