Marine protected areas in IBRD only
IBRD only: Marine protected areas was 13.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Marine protected areas in IBRD only, 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 IBRD only stood at 13.5%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 385.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in IBRD only peaked at 13.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2015.
That places IBRD only 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Marine protected areas in IBRD only, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2.8% | — |
| 2014 | 2.9% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 2.8% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | +115.6% |
| 2017 | 6.3% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 9.8% | +55.6% |
| 2019 | 11.8% | +20.5% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 12.5% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 13.1% | +4.9% |
| 2023 | 13.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 13.5% | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.0% | 2.8% | 11.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 13.0% | 12.4% | 13.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near IBRD only
- 10 Germany 45.3% compare
- 11 Chile 41.2% compare
- 12 Colombia 41.1% compare
- 13 Belgium 38.3% compare
- 14 Netherlands 33.5% compare
- 15 Seychelles 32.6% compare
- 16 Northern Mariana Islands 32.4% compare
More climate change data for IBRD only
- Population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 5.01 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.1% (2025)
- Urban population 2.94 billion (2025)
- Urban population 58.6% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 25.6% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 2,524 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 9.4% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 15.7% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 14.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in IBRD only?
- Marine protected areas in IBRD only was 13.5% 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 IBRD only?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in IBRD only?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2015.
- How does IBRD only rank for marine protected areas?
- IBRD only ranks 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in IBRD only?
- Over the last ten years it is up 385.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this IBRD only 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.