Terrestrial and marine protected areas in World
World: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 17.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in World, 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
World recorded 17.0% for terrestrial and marine protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 11.0% on the previous year and up 39.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in World peaked at 17.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 2013.
World ranks 10th of 45 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 World, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 11.1% | — |
| 2014 | 11.9% | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 12.1% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 13.2% | +8.9% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 14.1% | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 14.5% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 14.8% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 14.7% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 14.9% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 15.3% | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 17.0% | +11.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.9% | 11.1% | 14.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 15.3% | 14.7% | 17.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
- 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
- 12 Germany 40.0% compare
- 13 Luxembourg 39.1% compare
More climate change data for World
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4.94 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1.27 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.67 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 4,791 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 130,918 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1.64 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 957,726 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 685,096 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3,614 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 24,468 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in World?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in World was 17.0% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 17.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 2013.
- How does World rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- World ranks 10th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.