Share of land area that is protected in Germany

Germany: Share of land area that is protected was 39.2% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
39.2%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
18th
of 213 countries
All-time high
39.3%
in 2024
All-time low
37.4%
in 2014
Years of data
13
2013–2025

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

0102030402013201920252013: 37.9 % of total land area2014: 37.4 % of total land area2015: 37.4 % of total land area2016: 37.8 % of total land area2017: 37.8 % of total land area2018: 37.8 % of total land area2019: 37.4 % of total land area2020: 37.8 % of total land area2021: 37.5 % of total land area2022: 37.6 % of total land area2023: 37.6 % of total land area2024: 39.3 % of total land area2025: 39.2 % 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

The most recent figure for share of land area that is protected in Germany is 39.2%, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land area that is protected in Germany peaked at 39.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 37.4%, in 2014.

Germany ranks 18th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 37.6% 37.4% 37.9% 7
2020s 38.2% 37.5% 39.3% 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 16 Cambodia 39.8% compare
  2. 17 Poland 39.6% compare
  3. 20 Armenia 38.9% compare
  4. 21 Cyprus 38.6% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land area that is protected in Germany?
Share of land area that is protected in Germany was 39.2% 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 Germany?
The highest recorded value was 39.3% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of land area that is protected recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 37.4% in 2014.
How does Germany rank for share of land area that is protected?
Germany ranks 18th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of land area that is protected rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Germany 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.