East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas over time
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 15.4% against 2.7% in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), a difference of 12.7%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 5.6 times East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 13 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 39th of 47 groups.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.6% | 12.5% | 9.9% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 15.5% | 12.7% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 15.4% against 2.7% in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) and South Africa?
- 12.7%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) and South Africa?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) and South Africa rank globally for marine protected areas?
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 39th of 47 groups.
- 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.