Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 23.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean, 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 Latin America & Caribbean stood at 23.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 73.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 23.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 2013.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12.8% | — |
| 2014 | 13.7% | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 13.4% | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | +16.6% |
| 2017 | 16.0% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 20.0% | +25.4% |
| 2019 | 21.7% | +8.0% |
| 2020 | 21.9% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 22.1% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 22.8% | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 22.8% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 23.4% | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 23.4% | -0.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +25.4% | 16.0% | 20.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 16.2% | 12.8% | 21.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 22.7% | 21.9% | 23.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 1 Monaco 99.5% compare
- 2 Palau 98.0% compare
- 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
More climate change data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Population, total 666.59 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Urban population 543.31 million (2025)
- Urban population 81.5% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 39.7% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 354.03 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 2.6% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 24.4% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 22.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Latin America & Caribbean was 23.4% 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 Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 23.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 2013.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 73.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.
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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.