Costa Rica vs Gabon: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
Costa Rica
28.4%
in 2025
Gabon
26.8%
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
18th
Gabon rank
20th
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected over time
- Costa Rica
- Gabon
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 28.4% against 26.8% in Gabon, a difference of 1.6%.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.1 times Gabon's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Gabon ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 18th and Gabon ranks 20th of 174 countries.
Gabon has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Gabon | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.1% | 12.9% | 11.8% | Gabon |
| 2020s | 20.0% | 28.2% | 8.1% | Gabon |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of marine territorial waters that are protected, Costa Rica or Gabon?
- Costa Rica, at 28.4% against 26.8% in Gabon as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of marine territorial waters that are protected between Costa Rica and Gabon?
- 1.6%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Gabon?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Gabon rank globally for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- Costa Rica ranks 18th and Gabon ranks 20th 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.