Marine protected areas in Spain
Spain: Marine protected areas was 19 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Marine protected areas in Spain, 2013–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for marine protected areas in Spain is 19, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 48.4% on the previous year and up 167.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in Spain peaked at 19 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.1, in 2014.
Spain ranks 32nd of 174 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Marine protected areas in Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1.7 | — |
| 2014 | 1.1 | -35.3% |
| 2015 | 7.1 | +545.5% |
| 2016 | 8.4 | +18.3% |
| 2017 | 8.4 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8.4 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12.7 | +51.2% |
| 2020 | 12.8 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 12.8 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12.8 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12.8 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12.8 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 19 | +48.4% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 19 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.7, 2.2× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Spain's 19 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11, 1.7× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Marine protected areas in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +545.5% | 1.1 | 7.1 |
| 2019 | +51.2% | 8.4 | 12.7 |
| 2025 | +48.4% | 12.8 | 19 |
| 2014 | -35.3% | 1.7 | 1.1 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.83 | 1.1 | 12.7 | 7 |
| 2020s | 13.83 | 12.8 | 19 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More reference data data for Spain
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.898 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.06 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 52.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.89 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in Spain?
- Marine protected areas in Spain was 19 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest marine protected areas recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 19 in 2025.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 in 2014.
- How does Spain rank for marine protected areas?
- Spain ranks 32nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 167.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Marine protected areas. 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).