Terrestrial protected areas by country, 2025
Protected land areas such as national parks and nature reserves, as a share of total land area. Marine areas are excluded.
213 places ranked for 2025. Highest: Seychelles (68.1%). Lowest: Somalia, Fed. Rep. (0.0%). The median is 17.0%.
Highest 10
- 1. Seychelles 68.1%
- 2. New Caledonia 59.6%
- 3. Venezuela 56.8%
- 4. Bhutan 51.6%
- 5. Liechtenstein 44.8%
- 6. Bulgaria 44.3%
- 7. Turks and Caicos Islands 43.5%
- 8. Guinea 42.6%
- 9. Hong Kong SAR, China 42.0%
- 10. Greenland 41.9%
Lowest 10
- 213. Somalia, Fed. Rep. 0.0%
- 212. Naoero 0.0%
- 211. Micronesia 0.0%
- 210. Eritrea 0.0%
- 209. Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 0.1%
- 208. Libya 0.1%
- 207. Mauritania 0.6%
- 206. Syria 0.7%
- 205. Yemen 1.1%
- 204. Barbados 1.1%
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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 Seychelles (68.1%) and the lowest Somalia, Fed. Rep. (0.0%).
- Half of the countries are above 17.0% and half below.
- From 2024 to 2025 the value rose in 41 countries and fell in 21.
- The figure for the world was 16.5% in 2025, against 15.4% in 2020 (+1.1 percentage points).
Full ranking
| # | Country | Value | Period | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seychelles | 68.1% | 2025 | |
| 2 | New Caledonia | 59.6% | 2025 | |
| 3 | Venezuela | 56.8% | 2025 | |
| 4 | Bhutan | 51.6% | 2025 | |
| 5 | Liechtenstein | 44.8% | 2025 | |
| 6 | Bulgaria | 44.3% | 2025 | |
| 7 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 43.5% | 2025 | |
| 8 | Guinea | 42.6% | 2025 | |
| 9 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 42.0% | 2025 | |
| 10 | Greenland | 41.9% | 2025 | |
| 11 | Zambia | 41.3% | 2025 | |
| 12 | Slovenia | 40.4% | 2025 | |
| 13 | Brunei | 39.9% | 2025 | |
| 14 | Namibia | 39.9% | 2025 | |
| 15 | Tanzania | 39.9% | 2025 | |
| 16 | Cambodia | 39.8% | 2025 | |
| 17 | Poland | 39.6% | 2025 | |
| 18 | Germany | 39.2% | 2025 | |
| 19 | Luxembourg | 39.1% | 2025 | |
| 20 | Armenia | 38.9% | 2025 | |
| 21 | Cyprus | 38.6% | 2025 | |
| 22 | Croatia | 38.4% | 2025 | |
| 23 | Slovakia | 37.5% | 2025 | |
| 24 | Belize | 37.3% | 2025 | |
| 25 | Republic of the Congo | 36.6% | 2025 | |
| 26 | Benin | 36.1% | 2025 | |
| 27 | Greece | 35.0% | 2025 | |
| 28 | Bahamas | 34.6% | 2025 | |
| 29 | Comoros | 33.7% | 2025 | |
| 30 | New Zealand | 33.4% | 2025 | |
| 31 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 31.7% | 2025 | |
| 32 | Palau | 31.4% | 2025 | |
| 33 | Panama | 31.4% | 2025 | |
| 34 | Bolivia | 30.9% | 2025 | |
| 35 | Sri Lanka | 30.8% | 2025 | |
| 36 | Brazil | 30.6% | 2025 | |
| 37 | Trinidad and Tobago | 30.6% | 2025 | |
| 38 | Japan | 29.7% | 2025 | |
| 39 | Austria | 29.6% | 2025 | |
| 40 | Mozambique | 29.5% | 2025 | |
| 41 | Malta | 29.0% | 2025 | |
| 42 | North Macedonia | 29.0% | 2025 | |
| 43 | Oman | 28.9% | 2025 | |
| 44 | France | 28.8% | 2025 | |
| 45 | United Kingdom | 28.4% | 2025 | |
| 46 | Zimbabwe | 28.3% | 2025 | |
| 47 | Spain | 28.1% | 2025 | |
| 48 | Togo | 27.9% | 2025 | |
| 49 | Botswana | 27.6% | 2025 | |
| 50 | Israel | 27.6% | 2025 | |
| 51 | Senegal | 27.5% | 2025 | |
| 52 | Andorra | 27.3% | 2025 | |
| 53 | Gibraltar | 27.0% | 2025 | |
| 54 | Aruba | 26.9% | 2025 | |
| 55 | Costa Rica | 26.6% | 2025 | |
| 56 | Dominican Republic | 26.3% | 2025 | |
| 57 | Guinea-Bissau | 26.2% | 2025 | |
| 58 | Romania | 24.6% | 2025 | |
| 59 | Ecuador | 23.8% | 2025 | |
| 60 | Albania | 23.6% | 2025 | |
| 61 | Nepal | 23.6% | 2025 | |
| 62 | Lesotho | 23.4% | 2025 | |
| 63 | Malawi | 23.1% | 2025 | |
| 64 | Honduras | 23.0% | 2025 | |
| 65 | Portugal | 23.0% | 2025 | |
| 66 | Côte d'Ivoire | 22.9% | 2025 | |
| 67 | Kiribati | 22.9% | 2025 | |
| 68 | Netherlands | 22.9% | 2025 | |
| 69 | Georgia | 22.8% | 2025 | |
| 70 | Gabon | 22.6% | 2025 | |
| 71 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 22.6% | 2025 | |
| 72 | Tajikistan | 22.6% | 2025 | |
| 73 | Hungary | 22.3% | 2025 | |
| 74 | Montenegro | 22.2% | 2025 | |
| 75 | Azerbaijan | 22.1% | 2025 | |
| 76 | Peru | 22.1% | 2025 | |
| 77 | Australia | 22.0% | 2025 | |
| 78 | Czechia | 21.9% | 2025 | |
| 79 | Chile | 21.6% | 2025 | |
| 80 | Estonia | 21.6% | 2025 | |
| 81 | Italy | 21.5% | 2025 | |
| 82 | Dominica | 21.4% | 2025 | |
| 83 | Nicaragua | 21.2% | 2025 | |
| 84 | Chad | 21.0% | 2025 | |
| 85 | Niger | 21.0% | 2025 | |
| 86 | Iceland | 20.9% | 2025 | |
| 87 | Monaco | 20.9% | 2025 | |
| 88 | Tuvalu | 20.2% | 2025 | |
| 89 | Guatemala | 20.1% | 2025 | |
| 90 | Jamaica | 19.9% | 2025 | |
| 91 | Mongolia | 19.8% | 2025 | |
| 92 | United Arab Emirates | 19.2% | 2025 | |
| 93 | Pakistan | 19.1% | 2025 | |
| 94 | Equatorial Guinea | 19.0% | 2025 | |
| 95 | Laos | 18.8% | 2025 | |
| 96 | Latvia | 18.8% | 2025 | |
| 97 | Saudi Arabia | 18.5% | 2025 | |
| 98 | Thailand | 18.4% | 2025 | |
| 99 | Saint Lucia | 18.2% | 2025 | |
| 100 | Lithuania | 18.0% | 2025 | |
| 101 | Norway | 17.8% | 2025 | |
| 102 | South Korea | 17.7% | 2025 | |
| 103 | Cabo Verde | 17.6% | 2025 | |
| 104 | Colombia | 17.2% | 2025 | |
| 105 | Kuwait | 17.1% | 2025 | |
| 106 | Ukraine | 17.1% | 2025 | |
| 107 | Ethiopia | 17.0% | 2025 | |
| 108 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 16.9% | 2025 | |
| 109 | Burkina Faso | 16.8% | 2025 | |
| 110 | Antigua and Barbuda | 16.5% | 2025 | |
| 111 | Curaçao | 16.5% | 2025 | |
| 112 | American Samoa | 16.4% | 2025 | |
| 113 | Belgium | 16.4% | 2025 | |
| 114 | Denmark | 16.4% | 2025 | |
| 115 | Marshall Islands | 16.1% | 2025 | |
| 116 | Timor-Leste | 16.1% | 2025 | |
| 117 | Uganda | 16.1% | 2025 | |
| 118 | Philippines | 16.0% | 2025 | |
| 119 | Sweden | 15.8% | 2025 | |
| 120 | China | 15.6% | 2025 | |
| 121 | Cuba | 15.6% | 2025 | |
| 122 | Qatar | 15.6% | 2025 | |
| 123 | South Sudan | 15.4% | 2025 | |
| 124 | Ghana | 15.3% | 2025 | |
| 125 | Mexico | 15.3% | 2025 | |
| 126 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14.9% | 2025 | |
| 127 | Paraguay | 14.9% | 2025 | |
| 128 | Central African Republic | 14.8% | 2025 | |
| 129 | Suriname | 14.8% | 2025 | |
| 130 | Ireland | 14.2% | 2025 | |
| 131 | Uzbekistan | 14.1% | 2025 | |
| 132 | Serbia | 14.0% | 2025 | |
| 133 | Finland | 13.9% | 2025 | |
| 134 | Kenya | 13.9% | 2025 | |
| 135 | Nigeria | 13.9% | 2025 | |
| 136 | Malaysia | 13.3% | 2025 | |
| 137 | Tonga | 13.3% | 2025 | |
| 138 | US Virgin Islands | 13.3% | 2025 | |
| 139 | Egypt | 13.1% | 2025 | |
| 140 | Lebanon | 13.0% | 2025 | |
| 141 | Canada | 12.9% | 2025 | |
| 142 | United States | 12.9% | 2025 | |
| 143 | Madagascar | 12.8% | 2025 | |
| 144 | Sierra Leone | 12.6% | 2025 | |
| 145 | Switzerland | 12.5% | 2025 | |
| 146 | Indonesia | 12.0% | 2025 | |
| 147 | Bahrain | 11.7% | 2025 | |
| 148 | Moldova | 11.5% | 2025 | |
| 149 | Russia | 11.5% | 2025 | |
| 150 | Cameroon | 11.0% | 2025 | |
| 151 | Angola | 10.8% | 2025 | |
| 152 | British Virgin Islands | 10.5% | 2025 | |
| 153 | Kazakhstan | 10.1% | 2025 | |
| 154 | West Bank and Gaza | 10.0% | 2025 | |
| 155 | South Africa | 9.6% | 2025 | |
| 156 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9.5% | 2025 | |
| 157 | Saint Martin (French part) | 9.3% | 2025 | |
| 158 | Belarus | 9.2% | 2025 | |
| 159 | Rwanda | 9.1% | 2025 | |
| 160 | Argentina | 8.8% | 2025 | |
| 161 | Cayman Islands | 8.8% | 2025 | |
| 162 | Grenada | 8.8% | 2025 | |
| 163 | Haiti | 8.6% | 2025 | |
| 164 | Guyana | 8.4% | 2025 | |
| 165 | El Salvador | 8.3% | 2025 | |
| 166 | Samoa | 7.9% | 2025 | |
| 167 | Tunisia | 7.9% | 2025 | |
| 168 | Iran | 7.8% | 2025 | |
| 169 | Gambia | 7.7% | 2025 | |
| 170 | India | 7.7% | 2025 | |
| 171 | Burundi | 7.6% | 2025 | |
| 172 | Viet Nam | 7.6% | 2025 | |
| 173 | Mali | 7.5% | 2025 | |
| 174 | Türkiye | 7.0% | 2025 | |
| 175 | Kyrgyzstan | 6.8% | 2025 | |
| 176 | Myanmar | 6.7% | 2025 | |
| 177 | Puerto Rico (US) | 6.6% | 2025 | |
| 178 | French Polynesia | 5.6% | 2025 | |
| 179 | Jordan | 5.4% | 2025 | |
| 180 | Mauritius | 5.0% | 2025 | |
| 181 | Vanuatu | 4.8% | 2025 | |
| 182 | Algeria | 4.7% | 2025 | |
| 183 | Isle of Man | 4.6% | 2025 | |
| 184 | Singapore | 4.6% | 2025 | |
| 185 | Turkmenistan | 4.3% | 2025 | |
| 186 | Bangladesh | 4.2% | 2025 | |
| 187 | Eswatini | 4.2% | 2025 | |
| 188 | Guam | 4.2% | 2025 | |
| 189 | Liberia | 4.0% | 2025 | |
| 190 | Fiji | 3.9% | 2025 | |
| 191 | Papua New Guinea | 3.7% | 2025 | |
| 192 | Afghanistan | 3.6% | 2025 | |
| 193 | Uruguay | 3.1% | 2025 | |
| 194 | Maldives | 3.0% | 2025 | |
| 195 | Northern Mariana Islands | 2.8% | 2025 | |
| 196 | Sudan | 2.8% | 2025 | |
| 197 | Faroe Islands | 2.4% | 2025 | |
| 198 | North Korea | 2.4% | 2025 | |
| 199 | Solomon Islands | 2.4% | 2025 | |
| 200 | Bermuda | 2.3% | 2025 | |
| 201 | Morocco | 2.1% | 2025 | |
| 202 | Djibouti | 1.6% | 2025 | |
| 203 | Iraq | 1.5% | 2025 | |
| 204 | Barbados | 1.1% | 2025 | |
| 205 | Yemen | 1.1% | 2025 | |
| 206 | Syria | 0.7% | 2025 | |
| 207 | Mauritania | 0.6% | 2025 | |
| 208 | Libya | 0.1% | 2025 | |
| 209 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 0.1% | 2025 | |
| 210 | Eritrea | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 211 | Micronesia | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 212 | Naoero | 0.0% | 2025 | |
| 213 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 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