Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iraq
Iraq: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 1.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iraq, 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
The most recent figure for terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iraq is 1.5%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iraq peaked at 1.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2013.
Iraq ranks 173rd 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 Iraq, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0.3% | — |
| 2014 | 0.9% | +200.0% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | +66.7% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.2% | 0.3% | 1.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 170 Trinidad and Tobago 2.0% compare
- 171 Equatorial Guinea 1.8% compare
- 172 Jamaica 1.6% compare
- 174 Morocco 1.4% compare
- 175 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 1.3% compare
- 176 Djibouti 1.2% compare
- 176 Liberia 1.2% compare
More climate change data for Iraq
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 10,634 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,750 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,884 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14.15 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 245.84 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,859 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 4,294 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,565 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 16.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 55.89 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iraq?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Iraq was 1.5% 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 1.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2013.
- How does Iraq rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Iraq ranks 173rd out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq 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.