Marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Marine protected areas was 22.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean, 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
The most recent figure for marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean is 22.2%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 647.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 22.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2013.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 7th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2.9% | — |
| 2014 | 3.2% | +10.7% |
| 2015 | 3.0% | -8.5% |
| 2016 | 7.9% | +166.1% |
| 2017 | 8.5% | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 16.5% | +94.1% |
| 2019 | 19.4% | +17.3% |
| 2020 | 19.6% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 21.3% | +7.2% |
| 2023 | 21.3% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 22.2% | +4.5% |
| 2025 | 22.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8.8% | 2.9% | 19.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 19.6% | 22.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 4 New Caledonia 96.5% compare
- 5 French Polynesia 87.4% compare
- 6 Kazakhstan 52.5% compare
- 7 France 49.2% compare
- 8 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 46.8% compare
- 9 Australia 45.4% compare
- 10 Germany 45.3% compare
More climate change data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Population, total 666.59 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Urban population 543.31 million (2025)
- Urban population 81.5% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 39.7% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 354.03 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 2.6% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 24.4% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 23.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean was 22.2% 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 Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 22.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2013.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for marine protected areas?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 7th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 647.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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).
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.