Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of marine territorial waters that are protected was 46.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom is 46.8%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 274.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of marine territorial waters that are protected in United Kingdom peaked at 46.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 2013.
That places United Kingdom 8th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5.7% | — |
| 2014 | 16.5% | +189.5% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | -24.2% |
| 2016 | 21.6% | +72.8% |
| 2017 | 29.0% | +34.3% |
| 2018 | 28.9% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 29.2% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 44.2% | +51.4% |
| 2021 | 44.1% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 44.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 44.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 46.8% | +6.1% |
| 2025 | 46.8% | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 46.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.7%, 5.4× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 46.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 4.3× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in United Kingdom 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +189.5% | 5.7% | 16.5% |
| 2016 | +72.8% | 12.5% | 21.6% |
| 2020 | +51.4% | 29.2% | 44.2% |
| 2017 | +34.3% | 21.6% | 29.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 20.5% | 5.7% | 29.2% | 7 |
| 2020s | 45.0% | 44.1% | 46.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of marine territorial waters that are protected in United Kingdom?
- Share of marine territorial waters that are protected in United Kingdom was 46.8% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 46.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of marine territorial waters that are protected recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 2013.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of marine territorial waters that are protected?
- United Kingdom ranks 8th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of marine territorial waters that are protected rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 274.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.