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.
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 36.7% | — |
| 2014 | 36.6% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 36.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 36.7% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 36.6% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 36.7% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 36.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 36.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 38.1% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 38.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 38.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 38.3% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 38.3% | +0.0% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 38.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.7%, 4.4× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 38.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 3.5× the median. (39 countries reporting)
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
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.
Download this data
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.