Aquaculture is an expanding global food-production sector and an important environmental reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigated the qualitative landscape of ARGs reported from aquaculture systems across 48 countries by integrating resistance-gene occurrence data with national aquaculture production volume and key socioeconomic indicators to identify the drivers shaping resistance profiles. A total of 2,444 ARG entries were compiled, of which 1,960 were classified according to resistance mechanism, antibiotic target class, clinical significance, and mobile genetic element association. The results showed that target modification (35.8%) and enzymatic inactivation (35.7%) were the dominant resistance mechanisms, followed by mobile genetic element association (21.8%) and efflux pump mediation (6.6%). Tetracycline resistance was the most frequent antibiotic class (25.0%), followed by beta-lactams (17.4%), sulfonamides (15.7%), quinolones (11.6%), aminoglycosides (9.7%), chloramphenicols (7.6%), and macrolides (5.1%). Continental patterns revealed distinct resistance signatures, with Africa showing the highest proportion of enzymatic inactivation and emerging resistance, while Asia showed strong enrichment of mobile genetic element-associated resistance. Co-occurrence analysis identified frequent sul1-tetA, intI1-sul1, and floR-tetA associations, indicating integron-linked multidrug resistance and co-selection. Emerging resistance to last-resort antibiotics, including colistin, carbapenems, and vancomycin, was detected in 4.3% of classified entries. Critically, socioeconomic indicators—including GDP per capita, research expenditure, and literacy rates—along with aquaculture production volume emerged as significant correlates of resistance profiles, with correlated positively with mobile genetic element prevalence and ARG class diversity while higher-income nations showed distinct qualitative resistance signatures compared to lower-income settings. These findings highlight high-production, data-limited countries as priority surveillance hotspots. Overall, the study demonstrates that qualitative ARG profiling provides a more informative One Health framework than raw gene counts alone for assessing aquaculture-associated AMR risk globally. These findings can guide risk-based monitoring, stewardship planning, and policy decisions for sustainable aquaculture development and seafood safety.