Australia vs France: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
Australia
45.4%
in 2025
France
49.2%
in 2025
Australia rank
9th
France rank
7th
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected over time
- Australia
- France
How they compare
France currently reports 49.2% against 45.4% in Australia, a difference of 3.8%.
That makes France's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 9th and France ranks 7th of 174 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and France in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 42.0% | 30.0% | 11.9% | Australia |
| 2020s | 44.1% | 49.8% | 5.7% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of marine territorial waters that are protected, Australia or France?
- France, at 49.2% against 45.4% in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of marine territorial waters that are protected between Australia and France?
- 3.8%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and France?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Australia and France rank globally for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- Australia ranks 9th and France ranks 7th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of marine territorial waters that are protected. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Marine protected areas are regions of intertidal or sub-tidal land and associated water, flora and fauna, and cultural and historical features that have been legally or effectively reserved for protection.