Terrestrial and marine protected areas in North America
North America: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 13.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in North America, 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 North America is 13.7%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in North America peaked at 17.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 9.2%, in 2014.
That places North America 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 North America, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 10.0% | — |
| 2014 | 9.2% | -7.9% |
| 2015 | 13.5% | +45.9% |
| 2016 | 16.9% | +25.4% |
| 2017 | 17.0% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 17.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 17.6% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 17.0% | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 13.4% | -21.4% |
| 2022 | 13.6% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 13.7% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 13.7% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14.5% | 9.2% | 17.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 14.2% | 13.4% | 17.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
More climate change data for North America
- Population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Population, total 383.50 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Urban population 308.67 million (2025)
- Urban population 80.5% (2025)
- Annual Net Emissions/Removals 6,870 (2024)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 46.7% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 480.42 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 8.5% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 12.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in North America?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in North America was 13.7% 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 17.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.2% in 2014.
- How does North America rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- North America ranks 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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.