Panama vs Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas over time
- Panama
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
How they compare
Panama currently reports 26.3% against 7.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), a difference of 19.2%.
That makes Panama's figure about 3.7 times Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)'s.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ahead.
Panama ranks 22nd and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 23rd of 174 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Panama averaged higher in 1 and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.7% | 2.9% | 1.2% | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 2020s | 24.1% | 7.0% | 17.1% | Panama |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, Panama or Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Panama, at 26.3% against 7.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between Panama and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 19.2%, with Panama ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Panama and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank globally for marine protected areas?
- Panama ranks 22nd and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 23rd 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.