Terrestrial + marine · 2023 · World Bank / UNEP-WCMC WDPA · 198 countries
Protected land and marine areas, as a percentage of total territorial area — 2023 data, a static indicator.
World Bank, World Development Indicators (ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS) — primary source: UNEP-WCMC / Protected Planet (WDPA). 198 countries covered.
Two policy benchmarks appear in the legend: the Aichi target (17%, set for 2020) and the Kunming-Montreal target (30%, set for 2030).
Palau (100%) and Monaco (99%) top the ranking thanks to a generous definition that includes their territorial waters — a small state can designate almost its entire exclusive economic zone as protected without that saying much about its land conservation policy. Bhutan (50%), which enshrined the protection of 60% of its territory in its constitution, is a more representative case of deliberate policy.