Terrestrial and marine protected areas in New Zealand
New Zealand: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 30.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in New Zealand, 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
New Zealand recorded 30.6% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in New Zealand peaked at 30.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 2013.
New Zealand ranks 28th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 27.9% | — |
| 2014 | 30.5% | +9.3% |
| 2015 | 30.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 30.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 30.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 30.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.2% | 27.9% | 30.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 30.6% | 30.6% | 30.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 25 Tanzania, United Republic of 32.3% compare
- 26 Cambodia 31.8% compare
- 27 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 30.9% compare
- 29 Netherlands 29.8% compare
- 30 Austria 29.6% compare
- 30 Guinea 29.6% compare
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 113.13 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in New Zealand?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in New Zealand was 30.6% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 30.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 2013.
- How does New Zealand rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- New Zealand ranks 28th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.