Marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Marine protected areas was 1.1% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
1.1%
Change on year
up 5.4%
Rank
43rd
of 47 groups
All-time high
1.1%
in 2020
All-time low
1.0%
in 2013
Years of data
13
2013–2025

Marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 2013–2025

00.250.50.7512013201920252013: 0.994 % of territorial waters2014: 1.1 % of territorial waters2015: 1.1 % of territorial waters2016: 1.1 % of territorial waters2017: 1 % of territorial waters2018: 1 % of territorial waters2019: 1 % of territorial waters2020: 1.1 % of territorial waters2021: 1.1 % of territorial waters2022: 1.1 % of territorial waters2023: 1.1 % of territorial waters2024: 1 % of territorial waters2025: 1.1 % 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

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) recorded 1.1% for marine protected areas in 2025.

The figure is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 1.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2013.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 43rd of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 2013 to 2025.
Year % of territorial waters Change
2013 1.0%
2014 1.1% +9.1%
2015 1.1% -1.1%
2016 1.1% -1.0%
2017 1.0% -1.2%
2018 1.0% +0.0%
2019 1.0% +0.0%
2020 1.1% +4.8%
2021 1.1% +0.0%
2022 1.1% +0.0%
2023 1.1% +0.0%
2024 1.0% -5.9%
2025 1.1% +5.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1.1% 1.0% 1.1% 7
2020s 1.1% 1.0% 1.1% 6

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 40 Gibraltar 14.2% compare
  2. 41 Congo 14.1% compare
  3. 42 Japan 13.8% compare
  4. 43 Dominican Republic 13.3% compare
  5. 44 Argentina 12.0% compare
  6. 44 United Arab Emirates 12.0% compare
  7. 46 Kiribati 11.9% compare

See the full ranking of 221 places →

More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 1.1% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 2020.
What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2013.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for marine protected areas?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
Is marine protected areas rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). 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 17 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/marine-protected-areas-percent-of-territorial-waters/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.