Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Small states
Small states: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 7.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Small states, 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 Small states is 7.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 188.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Small states peaked at 7.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2014.
Small states ranks 39th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Small states, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2.6% | — |
| 2014 | 2.6% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | +88.8% |
| 2017 | 5.1% | +4.4% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | +27.1% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | +16.8% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 7.5% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 7.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 7.5% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 7.5% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.2% | 2.6% | 6.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 7.6% | 7.5% | 7.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Small states
More climate change data for Small states
- Population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Population, total 20.35 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.1% (2025)
- Urban population 10.60 million (2025)
- Urban population 52.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 10.28 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1.2% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 16.5% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 7.2% (2025)
- CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 3.16 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Small states?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Small states was 7.5% 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 Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2014.
- How does Small states rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Small states ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is up 188.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Small states 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.