Canada vs United States: Share of land area that is protected
Canada
12.9%
in 2025
United States
12.9%
in 2025
Canada rank
141st
United States rank
141st
Share of land area that is protected over time
- Canada
- United States
How they compare
Canada currently reports 12.9% against 12.9% in United States, a difference of 0.0%.
Across all 13 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Canada ranks 141st and United States ranks 141st of 213 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9.7% | 13.2% | 3.5% | United States |
| 2020s | 12.2% | 12.8% | 0.6% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of land area that is protected, Canada or United States?
- Canada, at 12.9% against 12.9% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of land area that is protected between Canada and United States?
- 0.0%, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and United States?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2025.
- How do Canada and United States rank globally for share of land area that is protected?
- Canada ranks 141st and United States ranks 141st of 213 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 land area that is protected. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Terrestrial protected areas are areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities in order to preserve their ecosystem services and cultural values.