Marine protected areas in Canada
Canada: Marine protected areas was 9.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Marine protected areas in Canada, 2013–2025
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. Measured in % of territorial waters.
Analysis
Canada recorded 9.2% for marine protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 922.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in Canada peaked at 9.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2013.
That places Canada 52nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Marine protected areas in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0.8% | — |
| 2014 | 0.8% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | +12.5% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.9% | +222.2% |
| 2019 | 3.1% | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | +183.9% |
| 2021 | 8.9% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 9.1% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 9.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 9.2% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 9.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.5% | 0.8% | 3.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 9.0% | 8.8% | 9.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 49 Italy 11.0% compare
- 50 Isle of Man 10.8% compare
- 51 Croatia 9.3% compare
- 53 Guinea-Bissau 9.1% compare
- 54 American Samoa 8.7% compare
- 55 Bangladesh 8.6% compare
- 55 Cyprus 8.6% compare
More climate change data for Canada
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 44,359 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 9,631 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,728 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 36.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,240 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 17,229 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,823 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 406.39 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 63.48 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 14.51 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in Canada?
- Marine protected areas in Canada was 9.2% in 2025, according to 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.
- What is the highest marine protected areas recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 9.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2013.
- How does Canada rank for marine protected areas?
- Canada ranks 52nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 922.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.