Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 7.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 7.8%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 10.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2021.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 38th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 8.2% | — |
| 2014 | 10.7% | +30.5% |
| 2015 | 8.8% | -17.4% |
| 2016 | 5.5% | -37.4% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 5.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | -17.4% |
| 2021 | 4.6% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 4.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 6.0% | +29.7% |
| 2024 | 7.7% | +28.1% |
| 2025 | 7.8% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7.2% | 5.5% | 10.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 4.6% | 7.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Urban population 463.33 million (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 2.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.5596 units per person (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.3% (2025)
- Population, total 828.02 million (2025)
- Population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 34.99 units per square kilometre (2023)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 7.8% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 2014.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2021.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 38th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.