Mussels are a major part of aquaculture and coastal food systems. Global mussel production reached 1.9 million tonnes in 2022, while EU mussel production totaled 368 thousand tonnes and was valued at €438 million. The EU figures below show how production, sales, business activity, and employment were distributed in 2022, with a separate 2024 indicator for mussels’ share of EU aquaculture.
In this article
- Global and EU production
- Species and value indicators
- EU country sales volume
- EU country turnover
- Employment and enterprises
- How the country figures compare
Global and EU production
According to the 2024 Aquaculture Economic Report (STECF 24-14), global mussel production reached 1.9 million tonnes in 2022. EU mussel production totaled 368 thousand tonnes in the same year and had a production value of €438 million.
The EU result was lower than the previous year on both measures. Production volume decreased 12% from 2021 to 2022, while production value decreased 5% over the same period. These are year-over-year changes reported for EU mussel production; they do not describe a longer-term trend.
The scale difference between the global and EU figures is useful background for food and aquaculture readers. The global total is reported in million tonnes, whereas the EU total is reported in thousand tonnes and is accompanied by a euro value. That combination places the EU mussel sector in both a physical-production and economic context, while keeping the underlying measurement units visible.
The 2022 EU production total provides a broad baseline for interpreting the country-level sales figures later in this article. Sales volume is a separate indicator from total aquaculture production, so the two measures should not be treated as interchangeable.
The EU’s position within aquaculture can also be seen in a newer measure. Eurostat reported that mussels represented 32.8% of EU aquaculture production by live weight in 2024 in “EU aquaculture: 1 million tonnes produced in 2024”. This 2024 share uses a different measurement year from the detailed 2022 economic indicators.
Species and value indicators
The European Commission’s “What are the most produced aquaculture products in the EU?” lists 2022 species indicators for EU aquaculture. Sea mussels accounted for 195 thousand tonnes, or 17% of EU aquaculture production. Blue mussels accounted for 135 thousand tonnes, or 12%, while Mediterranean mussels accounted for 79 thousand tonnes, or 7%.
The economic report gives another set of 2022 species figures. Mediterranean mussels produced 275 thousand tonnes in EU aquaculture, and blue mussels produced 136 thousand tonnes. Blue mussels generated €259.3 million in EU aquaculture production value, while sea mussels not elsewhere specified generated €158.8 million.
The report also states that Mediterranean and sea mussels together made up 50% of EU farmed shellfish production by weight in 2022. Blue mussels represented 24% of EU farmed shellfish production by weight and 20% of its production value.
These indicators use different category labels and reporting contexts, including “sea mussels,” “blue mussels,” “Mediterranean mussels,” and “sea mussels not elsewhere specified.” They are best read as source-reported measures rather than combined into a single additive species total.
EU country sales volume
In 2022, Spain recorded the largest reported mussel sales volume among the listed EU countries, at 192.0 thousand tonnes. Italy followed with 60.5 thousand tonnes, and France recorded 51.3 thousand tonnes. Ireland recorded 20.1 thousand tonnes, while Greece recorded 15.0 thousand tonnes.
The remaining reported sales volumes were Germany at 11.7 thousand tonnes, Denmark at 10.7 thousand tonnes, Sweden at 2.3 thousand tonnes, Portugal at 1.8 thousand tonnes, Croatia at 0.8 thousand tonnes, and Slovenia at 0.5 thousand tonnes.
| Country | Mussel sales volume, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Spain | 192.0 thousand tonnes |
| Italy | 60.5 thousand tonnes |
| France | 51.3 thousand tonnes |
| Ireland | 20.1 thousand tonnes |
| Greece | 15.0 thousand tonnes |
| Germany | 11.7 thousand tonnes |
| Denmark | 10.7 thousand tonnes |
| Sweden | 2.3 thousand tonnes |
| Portugal | 1.8 thousand tonnes |
| Croatia | 0.8 thousand tonnes |
| Slovenia | 0.5 thousand tonnes |
The country figures show a strongly concentrated sales pattern, with Spain’s reported volume far above the other listed countries. The source reports these figures as 2022 mussel sales volume; they should not be interpreted as a ranking of every mussel-producing location worldwide.
EU country turnover
Spain also recorded the highest reported mussel-sector turnover in 2022, at €156.5 million. France recorded €122.2 million, and Italy recorded €53.6 million. Ireland’s mussel-sector turnover was €18.8 million, followed by Germany at €17.4 million and Denmark at €5.7 million.
Greece recorded €5.4 million in turnover. Sweden recorded €2.9 million, Croatia €1.6 million, Portugal €1.5 million, and Slovenia €0.6 million.
| Country | Mussel-sector turnover, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Spain | €156.5 million |
| France | €122.2 million |
| Italy | €53.6 million |
| Ireland | €18.8 million |
| Germany | €17.4 million |
| Denmark | €5.7 million |
| Greece | €5.4 million |
| Sweden | €2.9 million |
| Croatia | €1.6 million |
| Portugal | €1.5 million |
| Slovenia | €0.6 million |
Turnover is a monetary sector measure and is distinct from aquaculture production value. The 2022 country values above come from the 2024 Aquaculture Economic Report (STECF 24-14), which is also the source for the country sales, employment, and enterprise figures.
Employment and enterprises
Spain’s mussel sector employed 6,314 people in 2022, the highest employment figure among the countries listed. Italy employed 1,830 people and France employed 1,754. Greece’s sector employed 712 people, while Ireland’s employed 357 and Germany’s employed 146.
The other reported employment counts were 113 people in Croatia, 65 in Sweden, 57 in Portugal, 38 in Denmark, and 17 in Slovenia.
The number of mussel-sector enterprises followed a similar broad pattern. Spain had 1,933 enterprises in 2022. France had 275, Greece had 219, and Italy had 224. Ireland had 75 enterprises, Croatia had 60, and Germany had 9. Portugal and Sweden each had 10 enterprises, Denmark had 11, and Slovenia had 5.
| Country | Employment, 2022 | Enterprises, 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 6,314 | 1,933 |
| Italy | 1,830 | 224 |
| France | 1,754 | 275 |
| Greece | 712 | 219 |
| Ireland | 357 | 75 |
| Croatia | 113 | 60 |
| Sweden | 65 | 10 |
| Portugal | 57 | 10 |
| Denmark | 38 | 11 |
| Germany | 146 | 9 |
| Slovenia | 17 | 5 |
Employment and enterprise counts describe the mussel sector for the reported countries and year. They do not measure the wider number of people involved in restaurants, seafood distribution, transport, or other parts of the coastal food economy.
How the country figures compare
The 2022 indicators point to Spain as the leading country across the three reported business measures: 192.0 thousand tonnes of sales volume, €156.5 million in turnover, 6,314 people employed, and 1,933 enterprises. Italy and France form the next large group in the supplied country figures, although their order differs by measure: Italy recorded more sales volume and employment than France, while France recorded more turnover and enterprises than Italy.
Ireland stands out among the middle-sized reported markets with 20.1 thousand tonnes of sales volume, €18.8 million in turnover, 357 employees, and 75 enterprises. Greece recorded 15.0 thousand tonnes of sales volume, €5.4 million in turnover, 712 employees, and 219 enterprises.
The smaller reported country figures range from Slovenia’s 0.5 thousand tonnes of sales volume, €0.6 million in turnover, 17 employees, and 5 enterprises to Denmark’s 10.7 thousand tonnes, €5.7 million, 38 employees, and 11 enterprises. Croatia recorded 0.8 thousand tonnes of sales volume, €1.6 million in turnover, 113 employees, and 60 enterprises.
For readers interested in coastal food production, the main distinction is between scale indicators. Production and sales volume describe physical quantities, production value and turnover describe monetary activity, and employment and enterprise counts describe the sector’s business footprint. The 2021–2022 EU changes, the 2022 country measures, and the 2024 aquaculture share belong to different periods and should be compared with those dates in view.