Share of land area that is protected in Nigeria

Nigeria: Share of land area that is protected was 13.9% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
13.9%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
133rd
of 213 countries
All-time high
13.9%
in 2013
All-time low
13.9%
in 2013
Years of data
13
2013–2025

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

0510152013201920252013: 13.9 % of total land area2014: 13.9 % of total land area2015: 13.9 % of total land area2016: 13.9 % of total land area2017: 13.9 % of total land area2018: 13.9 % of total land area2019: 13.9 % of total land area2020: 13.9 % of total land area2021: 13.9 % of total land area2022: 13.9 % of total land area2023: 13.9 % of total land area2024: 13.9 % of total land area2025: 13.9 % 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

In 2025, share of land area that is protected in Nigeria stood at 13.9%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land area that is protected in Nigeria peaked at 13.9% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 13.9%, in 2013.

That places Nigeria 133rd out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 13.9% 13.9% 13.9% 7
2020s 13.9% 13.9% 13.9% 6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 131 Uzbekistan 14.1% compare
  2. 132 Serbia 14.0% compare
  3. 133 Finland 13.9% compare
  4. 133 Kenya 13.9% compare
  5. 136 Malaysia 13.3% compare
  6. 136 Tonga 13.3% compare
  7. 136 United States Virgin Islands 13.3% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land area that is protected in Nigeria?
Share of land area that is protected in Nigeria was 13.9% 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 Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 13.9% in 2013.
What is the lowest share of land area that is protected recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 13.9% in 2013.
How does Nigeria rank for share of land area that is protected?
Nigeria ranks 133rd out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of land area that is protected rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Nigeria 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.