Terrestrial and marine protected areas in OECD members
OECD members: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 21.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in OECD members, 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
OECD members recorded 21.1% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 37.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in OECD members peaked at 21.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 2013.
OECD members ranks 8th of 47 groups 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 OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13.8% | — |
| 2014 | 13.8% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 15.3% | +11.1% |
| 2016 | 18.5% | +20.8% |
| 2017 | 19.2% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 20.1% | +4.7% |
| 2019 | 20.9% | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 21.0% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 20.3% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 20.6% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 20.5% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 21.0% | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 21.1% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 17.4% | 13.8% | 20.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 20.7% | 20.3% | 21.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 5 French Polynesia 87.3% compare
- 6 Bhutan 51.6% compare
- 7 Liechtenstein 44.8% compare
- 8 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 42.1% compare
- 9 Hong Kong, China 42.0% compare
- 10 Zambia 41.3% compare
- 11 Slovenia 40.1% compare
More climate change data for OECD members
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 1.40 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population 81.3% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 38.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,013 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 7.9% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.0% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 24.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in OECD members?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in OECD members was 21.1% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 2013.
- How does OECD members rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- OECD members ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.