Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Belgium
Belgium: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected was 38.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Belgium, 2013–2025
Source: Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of territorial waters.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Belgium is 38.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Belgium peaked at 38.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 36.6%, in 2014.
That places Belgium 13th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 36.7% | 36.6% | 36.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 37.9% | 36.7% | 38.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 10 Germany 45.3% compare
- 11 Chile 41.2% compare
- 12 Colombia 41.1% compare
- 14 Netherlands 33.5% compare
- 15 Seychelles 32.6% compare
- 16 Northern Mariana Islands 32.4% compare
More reference data data for Belgium
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.66 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 3.25 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0177 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4336 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.84 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 145.66 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Belgium?
- Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Belgium was 38.3% in 2025, according to Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of marine territorial waters that are protected recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 38.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of marine territorial waters that are protected recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.6% in 2014.
- How does Belgium rank for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- Belgium ranks 13th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of marine territorial waters that are protected rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Share of marine territorial waters that are protected. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.