Terrestrial protected areas in OECD members
OECD members: Terrestrial protected areas was 17.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial protected areas in OECD members, 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
OECD members recorded 17.0% for terrestrial protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in OECD members peaked at 17.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 2015.
OECD members ranks 16th of 45 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 protected areas in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13.9% | — |
| 2014 | 14.1% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 13.8% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 15.2% | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 15.1% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 15.2% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 16.4% | +7.4% |
| 2022 | 16.6% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 16.5% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 16.9% | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 17.0% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14.6% | 13.8% | 15.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 16.4% | 15.2% | 17.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More climate change data for OECD members
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 1.40 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population 81.3% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 38.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,013 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 7.9% (2022)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 21.1% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 24.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in OECD members?
- Terrestrial protected areas in OECD members 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 protected areas recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 17.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 2015.
- How does OECD members rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- OECD members ranks 16th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.