Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Australia
Australia: Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas was 67.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Australia, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Australia is 67.4%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 34.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Australia peaked at 67.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 34.7%, in 2000.
Australia ranks 57th of 184 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 34.7% | — |
| 2001 | 34.9% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 34.9% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 36.1% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 36.1% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 36.4% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 40.9% | +12.4% |
| 2007 | 43.5% | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 44.3% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 45.5% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 46.0% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 48.9% | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 49.5% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 50.0% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 50.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 50.2% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 54.1% | +7.7% |
| 2017 | 54.8% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 57.8% | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 60.1% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 61.9% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 67.4% | +9.0% |
| 2022 | 67.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 67.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 67.4% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 67.4% | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 67.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 65.7%, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Australia's 67.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 36.8%, 1.8× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 38.7% | 34.7% | 45.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.1% | 46.0% | 60.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.5% | 61.9% | 67.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More environment data for Australia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.75 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.345 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6708 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.0861 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Australia?
- Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Australia was 67.4% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 67.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.7% in 2000.
- How does Australia rank for protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas?
- Australia ranks 57th out of 184 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average proportion of Mountain Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).