Marine protected areas in New Zealand
New Zealand: Marine protected areas was 30.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Marine protected areas in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand stood at 30.4%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in New Zealand peaked at 30.4% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 2013.
New Zealand ranks 17th of 174 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Marine protected areas in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 27.9% | — |
| 2014 | 30.4% | +9.0% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.0% | 27.9% | 30.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 30.4% | 30.4% | 30.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 14 Netherlands 33.5% compare
- 15 Seychelles 32.6% compare
- 16 Northern Mariana Islands 32.4% compare
- 18 Costa Rica 28.4% compare
- 19 Denmark 27.1% compare
- 20 Gabon 26.8% compare
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.1143 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in New Zealand?
- Marine protected areas in New Zealand was 30.4% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 2014.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 2013.
- How does New Zealand rank for marine protected areas?
- New Zealand ranks 17th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.