Japan vs North America: Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area)
Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) over time
- Japan
- North America
How they compare
Japan currently reports 29.7% against 12.9% in North America, a difference of 16.8%.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.3 times North America's.
Across all 13 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 38th and North America ranks 37th of 213 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | North America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 24.7% | 11.4% | 13.3% | Japan |
| 2020s | 29.6% | 12.5% | 17.2% | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher terrestrial protected areas, Japan or North America?
- Japan, at 29.7% against 12.9% in North America as of 2025.
- What is the difference in terrestrial protected areas between Japan and North America?
- 16.8%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and North America?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Japan and North America rank globally for terrestrial protected areas?
- Japan ranks 38th and North America ranks 37th 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 protected areas (% of total land 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 areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.