New Zealand vs Small states: Marine protected areas
New Zealand
30.4%
in 2025
Small states
7.2%
in 2025
New Zealand rank
17th
Small states rank
21st
Marine protected areas over time
- New Zealand
- Small states
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 30.4% against 7.2% in Small states, a difference of 23.2%.
That makes New Zealand's figure about 4.2 times Small states's.
Across all 13 years both countries report, New Zealand has been ahead every year.
New Zealand ranks 17th and Small states ranks 21st of 174 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Small states | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.0% | 3.8% | 26.2% | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 30.4% | 7.2% | 23.2% | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, New Zealand or Small states?
- New Zealand, at 30.4% against 7.2% in Small states as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between New Zealand and Small states?
- 23.2%, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Small states?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and Small states rank globally for marine protected areas?
- New Zealand ranks 17th and Small states ranks 21st 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.