France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas over time
- France
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
France currently reports 49.2% against 46.8% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 2.4%.
That makes France's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.
Across all 13 years both countries report, France has been ahead every year.
France ranks 7th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th of 174 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.0% | 20.5% | 9.5% | France |
| 2020s | 49.8% | 45.0% | 4.8% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, France or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- France, at 49.2% against 46.8% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 2.4%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for marine protected areas?
- France ranks 7th 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.