Terrestrial protected areas in China
China: Terrestrial protected areas was 15.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Terrestrial protected areas in China, 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
The most recent figure for terrestrial protected areas in China is 15.6%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in China peaked at 17.1% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2018.
That places China 120th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial protected areas in China, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 17.0% | — |
| 2014 | 17.1% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 17.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 17.1% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 17.1% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 15.6% | -8.8% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 16.7% | 15.6% | 17.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 15.6% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 118 Philippines 16.0% compare
- 119 Sweden 15.8% compare
- 120 Cuba 15.6% compare
- 120 Qatar 15.6% compare
- 123 South Sudan 15.4% compare
More climate change data for China
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 604,831 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 191,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 413,353 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 722.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 342,069 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 200,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 141,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 757 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 5,052 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in China?
- Terrestrial protected areas in China was 15.6% 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 protected areas recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 2014.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2018.
- How does China rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- China ranks 120th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.