Share of land area that is protected in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of land area that is protected was 28.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Share of land area that is 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 total land area.
Analysis
In 2025, share of land area that is protected in United Kingdom stood at 28.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area that is protected in United Kingdom peaked at 28.8% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 27.8%, in 2021.
That places United Kingdom 45th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of land area that is protected in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 28.0% | — |
| 2014 | 28.8% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 28.7% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 28.2% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 28.7% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 28.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 28.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 28.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 27.8% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 27.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 27.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 28.4% | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 28.4% | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 28.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 21.5%, 1.3× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 28.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 22.1%, 1.3× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 28.5% | 28.0% | 28.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 28.2% | 27.8% | 28.7% | 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 land area that is protected in United Kingdom?
- Share of land area that is protected in United Kingdom was 28.4% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 2014.
- What is the lowest share of land area that is protected recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.8% in 2021.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of land area that is protected?
- United Kingdom ranks 45th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of land area that is protected rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 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
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.