EU frozen fish consumption amounted to 2.6m tons in 2017, according to the market research conducted by IndexBox. Frozen fish consumption within the EU continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern – frozen fish is a staple food item, especially in land-locked areas, where it enables to introduce seafood into the daily diet amid a permanent lack of freshly caught sea fish.
By Anna Sergeeva, Market Analyst, IndexBox, Inc.
The revenue of EU frozen fish market amounted to USD8.9bn in 2017, rising by +4.5% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). The market value increased at an average annual rate of +0.8% over the period from 2007 to 2017; the trend pattern is relatively consistent, with only minor fluctuations being observed in certain years. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2011, when it surged by 16% year-to-year. In that year, the frozen fish market reached its peak level of USD9.2bn.
Italy, Germany & UK – Largest EU Markets
The countries with the highest volumes of frozen fish consumption in 2017 were Italy (309,000 tons), Germany (298,000 tons), and the UK (260,000 tons), with a combined 34% share of total consumption. These countries were followed by Spain, Poland, France, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Romania, which together accounted for a further 52%. From 2007 to 2017, the most notable rate of growth in terms of frozen fish consumption, among the main consuming countries, was attained by Lithuania (+7.0% per year), while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.
Consumption by Country, 2017 (%, based on kg)
In terms of frozen fish product types consumed in the EU area, frozen fish fillets (1.3m tons) assumed approx. a 50% share of the EU total consumption in 2017. This can be explained by the fact that frozen fish fillets are relatively easy to cook: they do not need to be cleaned and have the bones removed. Market demand for easy-cook, ready-to-eat, value added frozen fish products such as fillets is steadily on the increase, against rising pace of life and time pressure affecting the consumers.
In terms of total frozen fish consumption, the category of frozen fish fillet was followed by frozen whole fish (1.1 million tons) and frozen fish meat (195,000 tons).
Consumption by Type, 2017 (%, based on kg)
In value terms, the difference between the category types appeared even more tangible: frozen fish fillet (USD5.9bn) continues to be the product category with the highest volume of consumption, while the frozen whole fish category (USD2.5bn) ranked second, lagging significantly behind the category leader. This can be explained by the fact that the price of frozen fish fillet stands significantly higher than the price for frozen whole fish, as a result of the larger value-added amount and the idea that frozen fish fillet is a convenience-type product.
You can read the entire article in the March-April 2019 print issue of Frozen Food Europe.
