Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Ireland
Ireland: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 4.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Ireland, 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
Ireland recorded 4.0% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Ireland peaked at 4.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 2013.
Ireland ranks 157th of 213 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3.3% | — |
| 2014 | 3.4% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | +17.6% |
| 2016 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 4.1% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 4.0% | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.8% | 3.3% | 4.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 154 Turkmenistan 4.3% compare
- 155 Eswatini 4.2% compare
- 156 Myanmar 4.1% compare
- 158 Sri Lanka 3.7% compare
- 159 Afghanistan 3.6% compare
- 159 Philippines 3.6% compare
More climate change data for Ireland
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 18,098 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,665 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 14,433 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.83 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 515.47 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,902 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,899 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.17 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0963 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Ireland?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Ireland was 4.0% 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 2013.
- How does Ireland rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Ireland ranks 157th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.