Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 28.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Costa Rica, 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
Costa Rica recorded 28.2% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 840.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Costa Rica peaked at 28.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2013.
That places Costa Rica 36th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3.0% | — |
| 2014 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4.7% | +56.7% |
| 2020 | 4.8% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 28.8% | +500.0% |
| 2023 | 28.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 28.2% | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 28.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.2% | 3.0% | 4.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 4.8% | 28.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More climate change data for Costa Rica
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 108.28 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,751 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 942.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,808 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 688.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 623.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 65.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.35 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Costa Rica?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Costa Rica was 28.2% 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2013.
- How does Costa Rica rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Costa Rica ranks 36th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 840.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.