Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Australia
Australia: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 33.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Australia, 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
Australia recorded 33.5% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Australia peaked at 33.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 28.1%, in 2013.
That places Australia 22nd out of 213 countries 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.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 28.1% | — |
| 2014 | 29.0% | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 28.7% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 28.6% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 29.7% | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 29.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 29.9% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 30.4% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 32.1% | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 32.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 32.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 33.5% | +4.4% |
| 2025 | 33.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 29.1% | 28.1% | 29.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 32.3% | 30.4% | 33.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 19 France 36.7% compare
- 20 Bulgaria 35.6% compare
- 21 Congo 34.2% 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 Australia
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 118,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 34,162 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 84,416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 128.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,473 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 10,966 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,507 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 41.38 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 53.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Australia?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Australia was 33.5% 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.1% in 2013.
- How does Australia rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Australia ranks 22nd out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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.