Marine protected areas in Central Europe and the Baltics
Central Europe and the Baltics: Marine protected areas was 15.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Marine protected areas in Central Europe and the Baltics, 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
In 2025, marine protected areas in Central Europe and the Baltics stood at 15.7%.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in Central Europe and the Baltics peaked at 15.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.8%, in 2013.
Central Europe and the Baltics ranks 12th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Marine protected areas in Central Europe and the Baltics, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 10.8% | — |
| 2014 | 12.6% | +16.7% |
| 2015 | 13.6% | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 13.5% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 15.5% | +15.2% |
| 2018 | 15.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 15.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 15.8% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 15.7% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.9% | 10.8% | 15.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 15.7% | 15.6% | 15.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Central Europe and the Baltics
More climate change data for Central Europe and the Baltics
- Population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 99.81 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Urban population 61.79 million (2025)
- Urban population 61.9% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 32.87 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 13.1% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 31.0% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 28.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Marine protected areas in Central Europe and the Baltics was 15.7% 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 Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The highest recorded value was 15.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.8% in 2013.
- How does Central Europe and the Baltics rank for marine protected areas?
- Central Europe and the Baltics ranks 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Central Europe and the Baltics 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.