Congo vs North America: Terrestrial and marine protected areas
Terrestrial and marine protected areas over time
- Congo
- North America
How they compare
Congo currently reports 34.2% against 13.7% in North America, a difference of 20.5%.
That makes Congo's figure about 2.5 times North America's.
Across all 13 years both countries report, Congo has been ahead every year.
Congo ranks 21st and North America ranks 18th of 213 countries.
Congo has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Congo | North America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 35.3% | 14.5% | 20.8% | Congo |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 14.2% | 19.3% | Congo |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher terrestrial and marine protected areas, Congo or North America?
- Congo, at 34.2% against 13.7% in North America as of 2025.
- What is the difference in terrestrial and marine protected areas between Congo and North America?
- 20.5%, with Congo ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Congo and North America?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Congo and North America rank globally for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Congo ranks 21st and North America ranks 18th of 213 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 Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. 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. Sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.