Costa Rica vs Northern Mariana Islands: Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas over time
- Costa Rica
- Northern Mariana Islands
How they compare
Northern Mariana Islands currently reports 32.4% against 28.4% in Costa Rica, a difference of 4.0%.
That makes Northern Mariana Islands's figure about 1.1 times Costa Rica's.
Across all 13 years both countries report, Northern Mariana Islands has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 18th and Northern Mariana Islands ranks 16th of 174 countries.
Northern Mariana Islands has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Northern Mariana Islands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.1% | 42.6% | 41.6% | Northern Mariana Islands |
| 2020s | 20.0% | 32.6% | 12.5% | Northern Mariana Islands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, Costa Rica or Northern Mariana Islands?
- Northern Mariana Islands, at 32.4% against 28.4% in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between Costa Rica and Northern Mariana Islands?
- 4.0%, with Northern Mariana Islands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Northern Mariana Islands?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Northern Mariana Islands rank globally for marine protected areas?
- Costa Rica ranks 18th and Northern Mariana Islands ranks 16th 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.