Marine protected areas in Greenland

Greenland: Marine protected areas was 4.2% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
4.2%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
71st
of 174 countries
All-time high
4.5%
in 2013
All-time low
4.2%
in 2024
Years of data
13
2013–2025

Marine protected areas in Greenland, 2013–2025

0123452013201920252013: 4.5 % of territorial waters2014: 4.5 % of territorial waters2015: 4.5 % of territorial waters2016: 4.5 % of territorial waters2017: 4.5 % of territorial waters2018: 4.5 % of territorial waters2019: 4.5 % of territorial waters2020: 4.5 % of territorial waters2021: 4.5 % of territorial waters2022: 4.5 % of territorial waters2023: 4.5 % of territorial waters2024: 4.2 % of territorial waters2025: 4.2 % of territorial waters

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

Greenland recorded 4.2% for marine protected areas in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.

The figure is down 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, marine protected areas in Greenland peaked at 4.5% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 2024.

That places Greenland 71st out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

Marine protected areas in Greenland, year by year

Annual values for Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) in Greenland, 2013 to 2025.
Year % of territorial waters Change
2013 4.5%
2014 4.5% +0.0%
2015 4.5% +0.0%
2016 4.5% +0.0%
2017 4.5% +0.0%
2018 4.5% +0.0%
2019 4.5% +0.0%
2020 4.5% +0.0%
2021 4.5% +0.0%
2022 4.5% +0.0%
2023 4.5% +0.0%
2024 4.2% -6.7%
2025 4.2% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 7
2020s 4.4% 4.2% 4.5% 6

Countries ranked near Greenland

  1. 68 Greece 4.7% compare
  2. 69 Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.5% compare
  3. 70 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 4.4% compare
  4. 71 Cuba 4.2% compare
  5. 71 Turkmenistan 4.2% compare
  6. 74 Mauritania 3.7% compare

See the full ranking of 221 places →

More climate change data for Greenland

All data for Greenland →

Frequently asked questions

What is marine protected areas in Greenland?
Marine protected areas in Greenland was 4.2% 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 Greenland?
The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 2013.
What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in Greenland?
The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 2024.
How does Greenland rank for marine protected areas?
Greenland ranks 71st out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is marine protected areas rising or falling in Greenland?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Greenland 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.

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Marine protected areas in Greenland. 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 31 August 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/marine-protected-areas-percent-of-territorial-waters/greenland/

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About this data

Indicator
Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters)
Unit
% of territorial waters
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
221 places, 2,834 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

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.