OECD members vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Terrestrial and marine protected areas

OECD members
21.1%
in 2025
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
42.1%
in 2025
OECD members rank
8th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
8th

Terrestrial and marine protected areas over time

  • OECD members
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
10203040201320192025

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 42.1% against 21.1% in OECD members, a difference of 21.0%.

That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 2.0 times OECD members's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was OECD members ahead.

OECD members ranks 8th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th of 47 groups.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade OECD members United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
2010s 17.4% 22.5% 5.1% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 20.7% 40.7% 20.0% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher terrestrial and marine protected areas, OECD members or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 42.1% against 21.1% in OECD members as of 2025.
What is the difference in terrestrial and marine protected areas between OECD members and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
21.0%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for OECD members and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
How do OECD members and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
OECD members ranks 8th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th 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 Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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OECD members vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Terrestrial and marine protected areas. Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/compare/terrestrial-and-marine-protected-areas-percent-of-total-territorial-area/oecd-members/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area)
Unit
% of total territorial area
Source
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
260 places, 3,357 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

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.