South Africa vs Sweden: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
South Africa
15.4%
in 2025
Sweden
16.1%
in 2025
South Africa rank
39th
Sweden rank
38th
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected over time
- South Africa
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 16.1% against 15.4% in South Africa, a difference of 0.7%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 13 shared years of data; in 2013 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 39th and Sweden ranks 38th of 174 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.5% | 11.0% | 1.5% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 15.5% | 15.8% | 0.4% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of marine territorial waters that are protected, South Africa or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 16.1% against 15.4% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of marine territorial waters that are protected between South Africa and Sweden?
- 0.7%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- South Africa ranks 39th and Sweden ranks 38th 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.