Terrestrial and marine protected areas in South Asia
South Asia: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 4.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in South Asia, 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
In 2025, terrestrial and marine protected areas in South Asia stood at 4.6%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 22.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in South Asia peaked at 4.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2014.
That places South Asia 46th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3.8% | — |
| 2014 | 3.7% | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3.8% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 4.4% | +17.6% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4.5% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 4.5% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 4.6% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More climate change data for South Asia
- Population growth 0.9% (2025)
- Population, total 1.69 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Urban population 605.70 million (2025)
- Urban population 35.8% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 16.8% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 706.16 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 37.6% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 9.2% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 0.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in South Asia?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in South Asia was 4.6% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2014.
- How does South Asia rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- South Asia ranks 46th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.