Discover the world’s protected and conserved areas

Protected Planet is the most up to date and complete source of data on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), updated monthly with submissions from governments, non-governmental organizations, landowners and communities.

Explore protected areas and OECMs

Global coverage of protected areas and OECMs

17.33%

295,849: Protected Areas

Terrestrial and inland waters protected area coverage

9.79%

16,950: Protected Areas

Marine protected area coverage

18.43%

295,849: Protected Areas

7259: OECMs

Terrestrial and inland waters protected area & OECM coverage

10.01%

16,950: Protected Areas

229: OECMs

Marine protected area & OECM coverage

Statistics updated: Jun 2026 Download latest global statistics

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Regional level

Country level

Individual Area

Marine Protected Areas and OECMs

Terrestrial and Inland Waters Protected Areas and OECMs

Green Listed Protected Areas and OECMs

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Thematic Areas

312,799 Protected Areas

Protected Areas (WDPA)

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas.

21,944 Protected Areas

Protected and Conserved Area Effectiveness (GD-PAME)

Comprising many thousands of assessments of how well a protected area is being managed – primarily the extent to which it is protecting values and achieving goals and objectives.

7,488 OECMs

Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM)

OECMs complement protected areas through sustained, positive conservation outcomes, even though they may be managed primarily for other reasons. They are documented in the World Database on OECMs.

Territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities (ICCAs)

The ICCA Registry website is an online information platform for territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities (ICCAs), where communities themselves provide data, case studies, maps, photos and stories.

75 Protected Areas

The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas

The IUCN Green List is a global standard for protected and conserved areas.

Equitable Governance

Equity relates to how fairly a protected area is governed: who has a say in decisions, how decisions are taken, and how the costs and benefits are shared.

Connectivity

Beyond protected and conserved areas what is the contribution of ecological corridors to achieving global conservation goals?

17,102 Protected Areas

Marine Protected and Conserved Areas

The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface and comprises highly diverse ecosystems. This page summarizes the global status of marine protected areas and OECMs and presents the most recent official statistics.

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An API to access the worlds' protected areas

If you know you need an API to access the World's protected areas, or want to find our more information, please view the API page.