Terrestrial protected areas in New Zealand
New Zealand: Terrestrial protected areas was 33.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial protected areas in New Zealand, 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
In 2025, terrestrial protected areas in New Zealand stood at 33.4%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in New Zealand peaked at 33.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 27.3%, in 2013.
New Zealand ranks 30th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial protected areas in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 27.3% | — |
| 2014 | 32.5% | +19.0% |
| 2015 | 32.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 32.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 32.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 32.8% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 32.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 33.4% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 33.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 33.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 33.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 33.4% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 33.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 31.8% | 27.3% | 32.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 113.13 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in New Zealand?
- Terrestrial protected areas in New Zealand was 33.4% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 33.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.3% in 2013.
- How does New Zealand rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- New Zealand ranks 30th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.