Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) vs United States: Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas over time
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 19.0% against 3.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 15.3%.
That makes United States's figure about 5.1 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 13 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 33rd and United States ranks 32nd of 47 groups.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.0% | 30.9% | 27.9% | United States |
| 2020s | 3.7% | 22.1% | 18.4% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher marine protected areas, Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) or United States?
- United States, at 19.0% against 3.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in marine protected areas between Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) and United States?
- 15.3%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) and United States?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) and United States rank globally for marine protected areas?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 33rd and United States ranks 32nd 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.