Australia vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas over time
- Australia
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 46.8% against 45.4% in Australia, a difference of 1.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 9th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th of 174 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 42.0% | 20.5% | 21.5% | Australia |
| 2020s | 44.1% | 45.0% | 0.9% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, Australia or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 46.8% against 45.4% in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between Australia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 1.4%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Australia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for marine protected areas?
- Australia ranks 9th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring, published as Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Marine protected areas are areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain--and overlying water and associated flora and fauna and historical and cultural features--that have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.