Costa Rica vs Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Terrestrial and marine protected areas
Terrestrial and marine protected areas over time
- Costa Rica
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 28.2% against 7.8% in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, a difference of 20.4%.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 3.6 times Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 36th and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 38th of 213 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 1 and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.2% | 7.2% | 3.9% | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 5.9% | 14.7% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher terrestrial and marine protected areas, Costa Rica or Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Costa Rica, at 28.2% against 7.8% in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in terrestrial and marine protected areas between Costa Rica and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- 20.4%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank globally for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Costa Rica ranks 36th and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 38th 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.