Marine protected areas in OECD members
OECD members: Marine protected areas was 24.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Marine protected areas in OECD members, 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
OECD members recorded 24.4% for marine protected areas in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 47.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in OECD members peaked at 25.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 13.6%, in 2014.
That places OECD members 3rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Marine protected areas in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13.7% | — |
| 2014 | 13.6% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 16.6% | +21.8% |
| 2016 | 21.7% | +31.1% |
| 2017 | 22.3% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 24.1% | +7.9% |
| 2019 | 25.3% | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 25.6% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 23.4% | -8.5% |
| 2022 | 23.8% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 23.6% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 24.3% | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 24.4% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 19.6% | 13.6% | 25.3% | 7 |
| 2020s | 24.2% | 23.4% | 25.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 1 Monaco 100.0% compare
- 2 Palau 98.0% compare
- 3 Saint Martin (French part) 97.0% compare
- 4 New Caledonia 96.5% compare
- 5 French Polynesia 87.4% compare
- 6 Kazakhstan 52.5% compare
More climate change data for OECD members
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 1.40 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population 81.3% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 38.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,013 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 7.9% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.0% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 21.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in OECD members?
- Marine protected areas in OECD members was 24.4% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 25.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.6% in 2014.
- How does OECD members rank for marine protected areas?
- OECD members ranks 3rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 47.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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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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.