Portugal vs Spain: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
Portugal
16.9%
in 2025
Spain
19.0%
in 2025
Portugal rank
35th
Spain rank
32nd
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected over time
- Portugal
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 19.0% against 16.9% in Portugal, a difference of 2.1%.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times Portugal's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Portugal ahead.
Portugal ranks 35th and Spain ranks 32nd of 174 countries.
Portugal has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 11.1% | 6.8% | 4.3% | Portugal |
| 2020s | 16.8% | 13.8% | 3.0% | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of marine territorial waters that are protected, Portugal or Spain?
- Spain, at 19.0% against 16.9% in Portugal as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of marine territorial waters that are protected between Portugal and Spain?
- 2.1%, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Spain?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Portugal and Spain rank globally for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- Portugal ranks 35th and Spain 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.