Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 14.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 14.0%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 14.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2014.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 15th of 47 groups on this measure, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 11.9% | — |
| 2014 | 11.5% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 12.4% | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 12.5% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 13.3% | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 13.4% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 13.4% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 13.8% | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 14.0% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.0% | 11.5% | 12.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 13.6% | 13.3% | 14.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More climate change data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 4.27 billion kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that) 6.71 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that leaches) 15.1 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 67.1 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 88.91 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 4.27 billion kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied 427.00 million kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied 1.28 billion kg (2050)
- All Crops — Burning crop residues 137.43 kt (2050)
- All Crops — Burning crop residues 3.56 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa was 14.0% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2014.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.