Terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Terrestrial protected areas was 17.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 17.3%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 17.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 15.7%, in 2014.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th of 47 groups 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 16.3% | — |
| 2014 | 15.7% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 15.9% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 16.5% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 16.7% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 16.4% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 16.1% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 16.4% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 16.4% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 16.5% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 16.8% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 17.0% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 17.3% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 16.2% | 15.7% | 16.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 16.7% | 16.4% | 17.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 9 Hong Kong, China 42.0% compare
- 10 Greenland 41.9% compare
- 11 Zambia 41.3% compare
- 12 Slovenia 40.4% compare
- 13 Brunei Darussalam 39.9% compare
- 13 Namibia 39.9% compare
- 13 Tanzania, United Republic of 39.9% compare
More climate change data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that) 6.71 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that leaches) 15.1 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 67.1 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 88.91 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 4.27 billion kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied 427.00 million kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied 1.28 billion kg (2050)
- All Crops — Burning crop residues 137.43 kt (2050)
- All Crops — Burning crop residues 3.56 kt (2050)
- All Crops — Burning crop residues 50.90 million t (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa was 17.3% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 17.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.7% in 2014.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.