Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Spain
Spain: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected was 19.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Spain, 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 Spain is 19.0%, 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, share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Spain peaked at 19.0% 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.
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Spain, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | 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 | 19.0% | +48.4% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 19.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.7%, 2.2× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Spain's 19.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 1.7× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of marine territorial waters that are protected 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% | 19.0% |
| 2014 | -35.3% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.8% | 1.1% | 12.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 13.8% | 12.8% | 19.0% | 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 share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Spain?
- Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in Spain was 19.0% 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of marine territorial waters that are protected recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2014.
- How does Spain rank for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- Spain ranks 32nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of marine territorial waters that are protected 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 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.