Terrestrial and marine protected areas in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 22.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in East Asia & Pacific, 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
In 2025, terrestrial and marine protected areas in East Asia & Pacific stood at 22.0%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 33.1% on the previous year and up 56.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 22.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 2013.
East Asia & Pacific ranks 6th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12.0% | — |
| 2014 | 14.8% | +23.1% |
| 2015 | 14.0% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 15.2% | +8.0% |
| 2017 | 15.4% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 15.3% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 15.4% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 15.5% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 16.2% | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 16.2% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 16.5% | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 22.0% | +33.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14.6% | 12.0% | 15.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 17.1% | 15.5% | 22.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 3 New Caledonia 96.0% compare
- 4 Saint Martin (French Part) 92.3% compare
- 5 French Polynesia 87.3% compare
- 6 Bhutan 51.6% compare
- 7 Liechtenstein 44.8% compare
- 8 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 42.1% compare
- 9 Hong Kong, China 42.0% compare
More climate change data for East Asia & Pacific
- Population growth 0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 2.39 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Urban population 1.55 billion (2025)
- Urban population 64.8% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,212 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 12.1% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.6% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 24.1% (2025)
- CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 2.98 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in East Asia & Pacific?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in East Asia & Pacific was 22.0% 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 East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 22.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 2013.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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.