Aquaculture is a rapidly growing food production technology, but it faces significant environmental and social challenges. This study uses the Aquaculture Performance Indicators (APIs) to analyze 57 aquaculture systems worldwide across 88 metrics, assessing social, economic, and environmental outcomes. The results show that the three pillars of sustainability—economic, environmental, and social—are, on average, mutually reinforcing in global aquaculture systems. However, there is significant variation in sustainability performance across different systems. The study finds that environmental and economic sustainability have a weaker relationship compared to fisheries, while social and environmental sustainability are more strongly linked. Freshwater and marine aquaculture are found to be equivalent in sustainability, and monoculture is preferable to polyculture. The study highlights high-performing aquaculture systems and species, and identifies opportunities to improve sustainability. It also shows that aquaculture can contribute to local economic development and poverty alleviation, but there are concerns about its social impacts, such as labor exploitation and inequality. The study suggests that sustainable aquaculture is possible with appropriate policies and investments. The APIs provide a framework for assessing sustainability across different aquaculture systems and species, and can be used to inform policy and investment decisions. The study also finds that export-oriented aquaculture systems perform better in environmental and economic dimensions in low-income countries, but not in social dimensions. The results indicate that aquaculture systems vary widely in terms of production technology, species, and market, and that some systems have negative outcomes in certain dimensions. The study concludes that aquaculture is a heterogeneous industry, and that the three pillars of sustainability are not necessarily in conflict, but there are variations in performance across different systems. The study also highlights the importance of policy and investment in achieving sustainable aquaculture.Aquaculture is a rapidly growing food production technology, but it faces significant environmental and social challenges. This study uses the Aquaculture Performance Indicators (APIs) to analyze 57 aquaculture systems worldwide across 88 metrics, assessing social, economic, and environmental outcomes. The results show that the three pillars of sustainability—economic, environmental, and social—are, on average, mutually reinforcing in global aquaculture systems. However, there is significant variation in sustainability performance across different systems. The study finds that environmental and economic sustainability have a weaker relationship compared to fisheries, while social and environmental sustainability are more strongly linked. Freshwater and marine aquaculture are found to be equivalent in sustainability, and monoculture is preferable to polyculture. The study highlights high-performing aquaculture systems and species, and identifies opportunities to improve sustainability. It also shows that aquaculture can contribute to local economic development and poverty alleviation, but there are concerns about its social impacts, such as labor exploitation and inequality. The study suggests that sustainable aquaculture is possible with appropriate policies and investments. The APIs provide a framework for assessing sustainability across different aquaculture systems and species, and can be used to inform policy and investment decisions. The study also finds that export-oriented aquaculture systems perform better in environmental and economic dimensions in low-income countries, but not in social dimensions. The results indicate that aquaculture systems vary widely in terms of production technology, species, and market, and that some systems have negative outcomes in certain dimensions. The study concludes that aquaculture is a heterogeneous industry, and that the three pillars of sustainability are not necessarily in conflict, but there are variations in performance across different systems. The study also highlights the importance of policy and investment in achieving sustainable aquaculture.