Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 13.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Africa Western and Central, 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 total territorial area.
Analysis
Africa Western and Central recorded 13.0% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.1% on the previous year and up 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Africa Western and Central peaked at 13.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.6%, in 2015.
Africa Western and Central ranks 22nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 11.7% | — |
| 2014 | 11.7% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 11.9% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 12.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12.5% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 12.7% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 12.7% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12.5% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 13.0% | +4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.1% | 11.6% | 12.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 12.7% | 12.5% | 13.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 19 France 36.7% compare
- 20 Bulgaria 35.6% compare
- 21 Congo 34.2% compare
- 22 Australia 33.5% compare
- 23 Seychelles 32.6% compare
- 24 Northern Mariana Islands 32.4% compare
- 25 Tanzania, United Republic of 32.3% compare
More climate change data for Africa Western and Central
- Population growth 2.3% (2025)
- Population, total 532.81 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.4% (2025)
- Urban population 284.93 million (2025)
- Urban population 53.5% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 18.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 32.38 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1.7% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 16.3% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 2.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Africa Western and Central?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Africa Western and Central was 13.0% 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 terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 13.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.6% in 2015.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 22nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central 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 Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area). 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
Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. 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. Sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.