Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iceland
Iceland: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 2.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iceland, 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
Iceland recorded 2.9% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 26.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iceland peaked at 2.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 2014.
Iceland ranks 163rd of 213 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2.7% | — |
| 2014 | 2.3% | -14.8% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 2.5% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | +8.0% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.8% | 2.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More climate change data for Iceland
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 462.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 110.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 352.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 12.58 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.3504 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.72 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 92.72 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iceland?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iceland was 2.9% 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 2014.
- How does Iceland rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Iceland ranks 163rd out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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.