Japan vs South Africa: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
Japan
13.8%
in 2025
South Africa
15.4%
in 2025
Japan rank
42nd
South Africa rank
39th
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected over time
- Japan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 15.4% against 13.8% in Japan, a difference of 1.6%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.
Across all 13 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 42nd and South Africa ranks 39th of 174 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.9% | 12.5% | 7.6% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 12.9% | 15.5% | 2.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of marine territorial waters that are protected, Japan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 15.4% against 13.8% in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of marine territorial waters that are protected between Japan and South Africa?
- 1.6%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- Japan ranks 42nd and South Africa ranks 39th 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.