Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Gabon

Gabon: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected was 26.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
26.8%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
20th
of 174 countries
All-time high
28.8%
in 2017
All-time low
0.9%
in 2013
Years of data
13
2013–2025

Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Gabon, 2013–2025

01020302013201920252013: 0.9 % of territorial waters2014: 1 % of territorial waters2015: 1 % of territorial waters2016: 1 % of territorial waters2017: 28.8 % of territorial waters2018: 28.8 % of territorial waters2019: 28.8 % of territorial waters2020: 28.8 % of territorial waters2021: 28.8 % of territorial waters2022: 28.8 % of territorial waters2023: 28.8 % of territorial waters2024: 26.9 % of territorial waters2025: 26.8 % of territorial waters

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 Gabon is 26.8%, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 2,580.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Gabon peaked at 28.8% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2013.

Gabon ranks 20th of 174 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 12.9% 0.9% 28.8% 7
2020s 28.2% 26.8% 28.8% 6

Countries ranked near Gabon

  1. 17 New Zealand 30.4% compare
  2. 18 Costa Rica 28.4% compare
  3. 19 Denmark 27.1% compare
  4. 21 Brazil 26.6% compare
  5. 22 Panama 26.3% compare
  6. 23 Poland 24.0% compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More reference data data for Gabon

All data for Gabon →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Gabon?
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Gabon was 26.8% 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 Gabon?
The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 2017.
What is the lowest share of marine territorial waters that are protected recorded in Gabon?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2013.
How does Gabon rank for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
Gabon ranks 20th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of marine territorial waters that are protected rising or falling in Gabon?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,580.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Gabon 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

Indicator
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected
Unit
% of territorial waters
Source
Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
174 places, 2,223 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

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.