Protected areas by country, 2025
Protected land and marine areas, such as nature reserves and national parks, as a share of total territorial area including territorial waters.
213 places ranked for 2025. Highest: Monaco (99.5%). Lowest: Tuvalu (0.0%). The median is 11.6%.
Highest 10
- 1. Monaco 99.5%
- 2. Palau 98.0%
- 3. New Caledonia 96.0%
- 4. Saint Martin (French part) 92.3%
- 5. French Polynesia 87.3%
- 6. Bhutan 51.6%
- 7. Liechtenstein 44.8%
- 8. United Kingdom 42.1%
- 9. Hong Kong SAR, China 42.0%
- 10. Zambia 41.3%
Lowest 10
- 213. Tuvalu 0.0%
- 212. Somalia, Fed. Rep. 0.0%
- 211. Naoero 0.0%
- 210. Micronesia 0.0%
- 209. Mauritius 0.0%
- 208. Guam 0.0%
- 207. Faroe Islands 0.0%
- 206. Eritrea 0.0%
- 205. British Virgin Islands 0.0%
- 204. Bermuda 0.0%
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The chart shows the 40 highest values; the table lists all 213. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
In short
- Among the 213 countries with a value for 2025, the highest is Monaco (99.5%) and the lowest Tuvalu (0.0%).
- Half of the countries are above 11.6% and half below.
- From 2024 to 2025 the value rose in 37 countries and fell in 18.
- The figure for the world was 17.0% in 2025, against 14.8% in 2020 (+2.1 percentage points).
Full ranking
| # | Country | Value | Period | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monaco | 99.5% | 2025 | |
| 2 | Palau | 98.0% | 2025 | |
| 3 | New Caledonia | 96.0% | 2025 | |
| 4 | Saint Martin (French part) | 92.3% | 2025 | |
| 5 | French Polynesia | 87.3% | 2025 | |
| 6 | Bhutan | 51.6% | 2025 | |
| 7 | Liechtenstein | 44.8% | 2025 | |
| 8 | United Kingdom | 42.1% | 2025 | |
| 9 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 42.0% | 2025 | |
| 10 | Zambia | 41.3% | 2025 | |
| 11 | Slovenia | 40.1% | 2025 | |
| 12 | Germany | 40.0% | 2025 | |
| 13 | Luxembourg | 39.1% | 2025 | |
| 14 | Venezuela | 39.0% | 2025 | |
| 15 | Armenia | 38.9% | 2025 | |
| 16 | Poland | 38.1% | 2025 | |
| 17 | Chile | 37.9% | 2025 | |
| 18 | Slovakia | 37.5% | 2025 | |
| 19 | France | 36.7% | 2025 | |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 35.6% | 2025 | |
| 21 | Republic of the Congo | 34.2% | 2025 | |
| 22 | Australia | 33.5% | 2025 | |
| 23 | Seychelles | 32.6% | 2025 | |
| 24 | Northern Mariana Islands | 32.4% | 2025 | |
| 25 | Tanzania | 32.3% | 2025 | |
| 26 | Cambodia | 31.8% | 2025 | |
| 27 | Bolivia | 30.9% | 2025 | |
| 28 | New Zealand | 30.6% | 2025 | |
| 29 | Netherlands | 29.8% | 2025 | |
| 30 | Austria | 29.6% | 2025 | |
| 31 | Guinea | 29.6% | 2025 | |
| 32 | Brazil | 29.4% | 2025 | |
| 33 | North Macedonia | 29.0% | 2025 | |
| 34 | Benin | 28.8% | 2025 | |
| 35 | Zimbabwe | 28.3% | 2025 | |
| 36 | Costa Rica | 28.2% | 2025 | |
| 37 | Botswana | 27.6% | 2025 | |
| 38 | Andorra | 27.3% | 2025 | |
| 39 | Panama | 27.2% | 2025 | |
| 40 | Belize | 26.8% | 2025 | |
| 41 | Colombia | 26.5% | 2025 | |
| 42 | Gabon | 24.4% | 2025 | |
| 43 | Namibia | 24.4% | 2025 | |
| 44 | Romania | 24.3% | 2025 | |
| 45 | Croatia | 24.1% | 2025 | |
| 46 | Denmark | 23.8% | 2025 | |
| 47 | Nepal | 23.6% | 2025 | |
| 48 | Lesotho | 23.4% | 2025 | |
| 49 | Malawi | 23.1% | 2025 | |
| 50 | Greenland | 22.6% | 2025 | |
| 51 | Tajikistan | 22.6% | 2025 | |
| 52 | Hungary | 22.3% | 2025 | |
| 53 | Spain | 22.1% | 2025 | |
| 54 | Togo | 22.1% | 2025 | |
| 55 | Czechia | 21.9% | 2025 | |
| 56 | Chad | 21.0% | 2025 | |
| 57 | Niger | 21.0% | 2025 | |
| 58 | Oman | 20.8% | 2025 | |
| 59 | Bahrain | 20.6% | 2025 | |
| 60 | Estonia | 20.5% | 2025 | |
| 61 | Ecuador | 20.2% | 2025 | |
| 62 | Mexico | 19.9% | 2025 | |
| 63 | Mongolia | 19.8% | 2025 | |
| 64 | Laos | 18.8% | 2025 | |
| 65 | Belgium | 18.6% | 2025 | |
| 66 | Lithuania | 18.4% | 2025 | |
| 67 | Latvia | 18.1% | 2025 | |
| 68 | Albania | 18.0% | 2025 | |
| 69 | Mozambique | 18.0% | 2025 | |
| 70 | Ukraine | 17.9% | 2025 | |
| 71 | Georgia | 17.4% | 2025 | |
| 72 | Portugal | 17.2% | 2025 | |
| 73 | Ethiopia | 17.0% | 2025 | |
| 74 | Saudi Arabia | 17.0% | 2025 | |
| 75 | Burkina Faso | 16.8% | 2025 | |
| 76 | Senegal | 16.6% | 2025 | |
| 77 | Peru | 16.5% | 2025 | |
| 78 | Montenegro | 16.3% | 2025 | |
| 79 | Uganda | 16.1% | 2025 | |
| 80 | United Arab Emirates | 16.1% | 2025 | |
| 81 | Sweden | 15.9% | 2025 | |
| 82 | United States | 15.8% | 2025 | |
| 83 | South Sudan | 15.4% | 2025 | |
| 84 | Dominican Republic | 15.3% | 2025 | |
| 85 | Pakistan | 15.2% | 2025 | |
| 86 | Japan | 15.1% | 2025 | |
| 87 | Côte d'Ivoire | 14.9% | 2025 | |
| 88 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14.9% | 2025 | |
| 89 | Paraguay | 14.9% | 2025 | |
| 90 | Central African Republic | 14.8% | 2025 | |
| 91 | Italy | 14.8% | 2025 | |
| 92 | China | 14.7% | 2025 | |
| 93 | Gibraltar | 14.4% | 2025 | |
| 94 | Uzbekistan | 14.1% | 2025 | |
| 95 | Serbia | 14.0% | 2025 | |
| 96 | Finland | 13.5% | 2025 | |
| 97 | Thailand | 13.4% | 2025 | |
| 98 | Guinea-Bissau | 13.2% | 2025 | |
| 99 | South Africa | 12.9% | 2025 | |
| 100 | Switzerland | 12.5% | 2025 | |
| 101 | Israel | 12.2% | 2025 | |
| 102 | Azerbaijan | 12.0% | 2025 | |
| 103 | Kiribati | 11.9% | 2025 | |
| 104 | Kazakhstan | 11.8% | 2025 | |
| 105 | Kenya | 11.8% | 2025 | |
| 106 | Canada | 11.6% | 2025 | |
| 107 | Egypt | 11.6% | 2025 | |
| 108 | Nigeria | 11.6% | 2025 | |
| 109 | Kuwait | 11.5% | 2025 | |
| 110 | Moldova | 11.5% | 2025 | |
| 111 | Greece | 11.2% | 2025 | |
| 112 | Cyprus | 11.1% | 2025 | |
| 113 | Honduras | 11.1% | 2025 | |
| 114 | Cameroon | 11.0% | 2025 | |
| 115 | Guatemala | 10.2% | 2025 | |
| 116 | Nicaragua | 10.1% | 2025 | |
| 117 | West Bank and Gaza | 10.0% | 2025 | |
| 118 | Argentina | 9.7% | 2025 | |
| 119 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9.5% | 2025 | |
| 120 | Belarus | 9.2% | 2025 | |
| 121 | Rwanda | 9.1% | 2025 | |
| 122 | American Samoa | 8.7% | 2025 | |
| 123 | Russia | 8.6% | 2025 | |
| 124 | Suriname | 8.6% | 2025 | |
| 125 | Malaysia | 8.4% | 2025 | |
| 126 | Bahamas | 8.3% | 2025 | |
| 127 | Malta | 8.0% | 2025 | |
| 128 | Ghana | 7.9% | 2025 | |
| 129 | Angola | 7.7% | 2025 | |
| 130 | Burundi | 7.6% | 2025 | |
| 131 | Brunei | 7.5% | 2025 | |
| 132 | Mali | 7.5% | 2025 | |
| 133 | Iran | 7.0% | 2025 | |
| 134 | Cuba | 6.9% | 2025 | |
| 135 | Kyrgyzstan | 6.8% | 2025 | |
| 136 | Bangladesh | 5.9% | 2025 | |
| 137 | South Korea | 5.9% | 2025 | |
| 138 | Qatar | 5.8% | 2025 | |
| 139 | Türkiye | 5.7% | 2025 | |
| 140 | Jordan | 5.4% | 2025 | |
| 141 | Norway | 5.4% | 2025 | |
| 142 | Indonesia | 5.2% | 2025 | |
| 143 | Tunisia | 5.2% | 2025 | |
| 144 | Guyana | 5.1% | 2025 | |
| 145 | Madagascar | 5.1% | 2025 | |
| 146 | Sierra Leone | 5.1% | 2025 | |
| 147 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 4.8% | 2025 | |
| 148 | Lebanon | 4.7% | 2025 | |
| 149 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 4.7% | 2025 | |
| 150 | Timor-Leste | 4.7% | 2025 | |
| 151 | Isle of Man | 4.6% | 2025 | |
| 152 | India | 4.5% | 2025 | |
| 153 | Algeria | 4.4% | 2025 | |
| 154 | Turkmenistan | 4.3% | 2025 | |
| 155 | Eswatini | 4.2% | 2025 | |
| 156 | Myanmar | 4.1% | 2025 | |
| 157 | Ireland | 4.0% | 2025 | |
| 158 | Sri Lanka | 3.7% | 2025 | |
| 159 | Afghanistan | 3.6% | 2025 | |
| 160 | Philippines | 3.6% | 2025 | |
| 161 | Sudan | 3.3% | 2025 | |
| 162 | Haiti | 3.0% | 2025 | |
| 163 | Gambia | 2.9% | 2025 | |
| 164 | Iceland | 2.9% | 2025 | |
| 165 | Viet Nam | 2.9% | 2025 | |
| 166 | Uruguay | 2.4% | 2025 | |
| 167 | Puerto Rico (US) | 2.3% | 2025 | |
| 168 | El Salvador | 2.1% | 2025 | |
| 169 | Singapore | 2.1% | 2025 | |
| 170 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2.0% | 2025 | |
| 171 | Equatorial Guinea | 1.8% | 2025 | |
| 172 | Jamaica | 1.6% | 2025 | |
| 173 | Iraq | 1.5% | 2025 | |
| 174 | Morocco | 1.4% | 2025 | |
| 175 | North Korea | 1.3% | 2025 | |
| 176 | Djibouti | 1.2% | 2025 | |
| 177 | Liberia | 1.2% | 2025 | |
| 178 | Fiji | 1.0% | 2025 | |
| 179 | Mauritania | 1.0% | 2025 | |
| 180 | Saint Lucia | 1.0% | 2025 | |
| 181 | US Virgin Islands | 0.9% | 2025 | |
| 182 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.8% | 2025 | |
| 183 | Comoros | 0.7% | 2025 | |
| 184 | Papua New Guinea | 0.7% | 2025 | |
| 185 | Syria | 0.7% | 2025 | |
| 186 | Yemen | 0.7% | 2025 | |
| 187 | Aruba | 0.6% | 2025 | |
| 188 | Dominica | 0.6% | 2025 | |
| 189 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.5% | 2025 | |
| 190 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0.5% | 2025 | |
| 191 | Curaçao | 0.3% | 2025 | |
| 192 | Marshall Islands | 0.3% | 2025 | |
| 193 | Samoa | 0.3% | 2025 | |
| 194 | Cabo Verde | 0.2% | 2025 | |
| 195 | Grenada | 0.2% | 2025 | |
| 196 | Libya | 0.2% | 2025 | |
| 197 | Solomon Islands | 0.2% | 2025 | |
| 198 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 0.2% | 2025 | |
| 199 | Barbados | 0.1% | 2025 | |
| 200 | Cayman Islands | 0.1% | 2025 | |
| 201 | Maldives | 0.1% | 2025 | |
| 202 | Tonga | 0.1% | 2025 | |
| 203 | Vanuatu | 0.1% | 2025 | |
| 204 | Bermuda | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 205 | British Virgin Islands | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 206 | Eritrea | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 207 | Faroe Islands | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 208 | Guam | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 209 | Mauritius | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 210 | Micronesia | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 211 | Naoero | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 212 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 213 | Tuvalu | 0.0% | 2025 |
Places are ordered from the highest to the lowest value. Group medians on this site are the middle value of the members with data for the same year; they are not official aggregates.
How this ranking works
Every country is ranked on its value for 2025, the latest period that most countries have, so all values are for the same point in time. Countries without a value for 2025 are left out. Groups and aggregates such as the European Union are not ranked. Values are as published by World Bank; the ranking is a plain ordering from the highest to the lowest value and says nothing about whether a high value is good or bad.
Earlier years: use the year selector above. Methodology · Coverage and freshness