France vs New Caledonia: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
France
49.2%
in 2025
New Caledonia
96.5%
in 2025
France rank
7th
New Caledonia rank
4th
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected over time
- France
- New Caledonia
How they compare
New Caledonia currently reports 96.5% against 49.2% in France, a difference of 47.3%.
That makes New Caledonia's figure about 2.0 times France's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was France ahead.
France ranks 7th and New Caledonia ranks 4th of 174 countries.
New Caledonia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | New Caledonia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.0% | 82.8% | 52.8% | New Caledonia |
| 2020s | 49.8% | 97.0% | 47.1% | New Caledonia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of marine territorial waters that are protected, France or New Caledonia?
- New Caledonia, at 96.5% against 49.2% in France as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of marine territorial waters that are protected between France and New Caledonia?
- 47.3%, with New Caledonia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and New Caledonia?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do France and New Caledonia rank globally for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- France ranks 7th and New Caledonia ranks 4th 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.