Terrestrial protected areas in Canada
Canada: Terrestrial protected areas was 12.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial protected areas in Canada, 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 land area.
Analysis
Canada recorded 12.9% for terrestrial protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 38.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in Canada peaked at 12.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2015.
Canada ranks 141st of 213 countries 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 protected areas in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 9.4% | — |
| 2014 | 9.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.3% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 9.7% | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 9.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.6% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 11.0% | +14.6% |
| 2020 | 9.9% | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 11.9% | +20.2% |
| 2022 | 12.7% | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 12.8% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 12.9% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9.7% | 9.3% | 11.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 12.2% | 9.9% | 12.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 139 Egypt 13.1% compare
- 140 Lebanon 13.0% compare
- 141 United States of America 12.9% compare
- 143 Madagascar 12.8% compare
- 144 Sierra Leone 12.6% compare
More climate change data for Canada
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 44,359 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 9,631 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,728 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 36.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,240 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 17,229 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,823 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 406.39 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 63.48 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 14.51 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in Canada?
- Terrestrial protected areas in Canada was 12.9% 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 protected areas recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 2015.
- How does Canada rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- Canada ranks 141st out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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 protected areas (% of total land 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 areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.