Share of land area that is protected in Congo

Congo: Share of land area that is protected was 36.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
36.6%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
25th
of 213 countries
All-time high
40.7%
in 2018
All-time low
36.4%
in 2013
Years of data
13
2013–2025

Share of land area that is protected in Congo, 2013–2025

0102030402013201920252013: 36.4 % of total land area2014: 37.1 % of total land area2015: 37.1 % of total land area2016: 40.6 % of total land area2017: 40.6 % of total land area2018: 40.7 % of total land area2019: 40.7 % of total land area2020: 36.8 % of total land area2021: 36.8 % of total land area2022: 36.8 % of total land area2023: 36.8 % of total land area2024: 36.8 % of total land area2025: 36.6 % of total land area

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 total land area.

Analysis

Congo recorded 36.6% for share of land area that is protected in 2025.

The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land area that is protected in Congo peaked at 40.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 36.4%, in 2013.

Congo ranks 25th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 39.0% 36.4% 40.7% 7
2020s 36.8% 36.6% 36.8% 6

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 22 Croatia 38.4% compare
  2. 23 Slovakia 37.5% compare
  3. 24 Belize 37.3% compare
  4. 26 Benin 36.1% compare
  5. 27 Greece 35.0% compare
  6. 28 Bahamas 34.6% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More reference data data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land area that is protected in Congo?
Share of land area that is protected in Congo was 36.6% 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 land area that is protected recorded in Congo?
The highest recorded value was 40.7% in 2018.
What is the lowest share of land area that is protected recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 36.4% in 2013.
How does Congo rank for share of land area that is protected?
Congo ranks 25th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of land area that is protected rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Congo 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 land area that is 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 land area that is protected
Unit
% of total land area
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
213 places, 2,746 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

Terrestrial protected areas are areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities in order to preserve their ecosystem services and cultural values.