Marine protected areas in Kenya

Kenya: Marine protected areas was 0.7% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
0.7%
Change on year
up 16.7%
World rank
110th
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.8%
in 2013
All-time low
0.6%
in 2014
Years of data
13
2013–2025

Marine protected areas in Kenya, 2013–2025

00.20.40.60.82013201920252013: 0.8 % of territorial waters2014: 0.6 % of territorial waters2015: 0.6 % of territorial waters2016: 0.8 % of territorial waters2017: 0.8 % of territorial waters2018: 0.8 % of territorial waters2019: 0.8 % of territorial waters2020: 0.8 % of territorial waters2021: 0.8 % of territorial waters2022: 0.7 % of territorial waters2023: 0.7 % of territorial waters2024: 0.6 % of territorial waters2025: 0.7 % 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

In 2025, marine protected areas in Kenya stood at 0.7%.

The figure is up 16.7% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, marine protected areas in Kenya peaked at 0.8% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2014.

That places Kenya 110th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

Marine protected areas in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) in Kenya, 2013 to 2025.
Year % of territorial waters Change
2013 0.8%
2014 0.6% -25.0%
2015 0.6% +0.0%
2016 0.8% +33.3%
2017 0.8% +0.0%
2018 0.8% +0.0%
2019 0.8% +0.0%
2020 0.8% +0.0%
2021 0.8% +0.0%
2022 0.7% -12.5%
2023 0.7% +0.0%
2024 0.6% -14.3%
2025 0.7% +16.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 7
2020s 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 6

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 110 Antigua and Barbuda 0.7% compare
  2. 110 Gambia 0.7% compare
  3. 110 Jamaica 0.7% compare
  4. 110 East Timor 0.7% compare
  5. 110 Togo 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 221 places →

More climate change data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is marine protected areas in Kenya?
Marine protected areas in Kenya was 0.7% 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 Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 0.8% in 2013.
What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2014.
How does Kenya rank for marine protected areas?
Kenya ranks 110th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is marine protected areas rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Kenya 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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CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

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Marine protected areas in Kenya. 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 27 August 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/marine-protected-areas-percent-of-territorial-waters/kenya/

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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.