Belize vs United States: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
Belize
20.4%
in 2025
United States
19.0%
in 2025
Belize rank
29th
United States rank
32nd
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected over time
- Belize
- United States
How they compare
Belize currently reports 20.4% against 19.0% in United States, a difference of 1.4%.
That makes Belize's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was United States ahead.
Belize ranks 29th and United States ranks 32nd of 174 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belize | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9.6% | 30.9% | 21.2% | United States |
| 2020s | 14.1% | 22.1% | 7.9% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of marine territorial waters that are protected, Belize or United States?
- Belize, at 20.4% against 19.0% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of marine territorial waters that are protected between Belize and United States?
- 1.4%, with Belize ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belize and United States?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Belize and United States rank globally for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- Belize ranks 29th and United States ranks 32nd 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.