Fish and shellfish

Last updated on 8-8-2025 by Laïla Boulbayem

Why do we study dietary patterns of the population?

What we eat and drink has a direct impact on our health and well-being. By studying dietary patterns in the population (What foods are eaten? At what frequency? By whom?), we can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions to promote better diets. This knowledge helps address the risk of diet-related diseases and supports the development of healthy, sustainable food systems.
The current page is focused on general consumption of fish and shellfish regardless the type of fish or shellfish consumed. More information on the comparison of the habitual intake of fish and shellfish with dietary guidelines can be found here.

How do we study the consumption of fish and shellfish?

The consumption of fish and shellfish was assessed, overall and for different population groups, using data from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. Trained interviewers recorded twice, on two non-consecutive days, all the foods and drinks that participants had consumed on the previous day using a specialised computer program (GloboDiet®).
The mean fish and shellfish consumption (in grams per day) was calculated using the average consumption, overall and by subcategories – fish and shellfish –, over the two recall days of each participant. The top-10 most consumed fish and shellfish were also derived from the 24h recall data. Since mean distributions are skewed, comparison between population subgroups should be interpreted with caution.
In addition to the 24-hour recalls, participants (or parent in case of children) also completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire: they reported how often they consumed a specific food or food group in the last 12 months. On this page, we present the frequency of fish and shellfish consumption using the following categories: “Never”, “less than once a week”, “1 time per week”, “2-4 times per week”, “5-6 times per week” and “once a day or more”.
The detailed methodology can be found here.

What is included in the group of “fish and shellfish”?

This group is divided into the following subcategories:
- Fish such as salmon, cod, tuna, eel, halibut;
- Crustaceans and molluscs such as scampi, crab, shrimp, lobster, oysters;
- Fish products and breaded fish such as fish stick, tarama, salmon mousse, caviar, fish burger.
However, results linked to data from the food frequency questionnaire only include fish, defined as fresh and frozen fish.

KEY RESULTS

The mean consumption of fish and shellfish is 19 g per day including 14 g per day of fish and 4 g per day of crustaceans and molluscs

35% of the population aged 3 years and older consumes fish once a week, 46% consumes fish less than once a week and 9% never consumes fish

The mean fish and shellfish consumption is higher among adults aged 40-64 years (26 g per day) and 65 years and above (24 g per day) than among children (11 g per day), adolescents (13 g per day) and adults aged 18-39 years (13 g per day)

32% of people with a low educational level eat fish once a week, which is lower than the proportion observed in people with mid- (40%) and high (37%) educational levels

Salmon (24 g per day), cod (19 g per day) and tuna (8g per day) are the most consumed fish in the population aged 3 years and older