Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Malawi
Malawi: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 23.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Malawi, 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 Malawi is 23.1%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 36.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Malawi peaked at 23.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.9%, in 2013.
Malawi ranks 49th of 213 countries 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 16.9% | — |
| 2014 | 16.9% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 16.9% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 16.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 17.4% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 22.9% | +31.6% |
| 2019 | 22.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 22.9% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 22.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 22.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 22.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 23.1% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 23.1% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 18.7% | 16.9% | 22.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 23.0% | 22.9% | 23.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More climate change data for Malawi
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,106 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,501 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.06 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 89.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,185 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,819 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 366.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 10.64 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.09 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Malawi?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Malawi was 23.1% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 23.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.9% in 2013.
- How does Malawi rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Malawi ranks 49th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.