Europe & Central Asia vs New Zealand: Marine protected areas
Europe & Central Asia
8.7%
in 2025
New Zealand
30.4%
in 2025
Europe & Central Asia rank
17th
New Zealand rank
17th
Marine protected areas over time
- Europe & Central Asia
- New Zealand
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 30.4% against 8.7% in Europe & Central Asia, a difference of 21.7%.
That makes New Zealand's figure about 3.5 times Europe & Central Asia's.
Across all 13 years both countries report, New Zealand has been ahead every year.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 17th and New Zealand ranks 17th of 47 groups.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Europe & Central Asia | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5.6% | 30.0% | 24.5% | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 8.3% | 30.4% | 22.1% | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, Europe & Central Asia or New Zealand?
- New Zealand, at 30.4% against 8.7% in Europe & Central Asia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between Europe & Central Asia and New Zealand?
- 21.7%, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia and New Zealand?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Europe & Central Asia and New Zealand rank globally for marine protected areas?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 17th and New Zealand ranks 17th 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.