Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in New Zealand
New Zealand: Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas was 34.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in New Zealand, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in New Zealand stood at 34.0%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in New Zealand peaked at 34.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 27.8%, in 2000.
That places New Zealand 123rd out of 184 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 27.8% | — |
| 2001 | 27.8% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 28.0% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 28.0% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 28.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 28.6% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 30.1% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 30.5% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 31.5% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 32.8% | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 32.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 32.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 33.0% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 33.3% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 33.4% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 33.8% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 33.9% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 33.9% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 34.0% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 34.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 34.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 34.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 34.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 34.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 34.0% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 34.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.3% | 27.8% | 32.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.5% | 32.8% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.0% | 34.0% | 34.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 120 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 36.1% compare
- 121 Switzerland 35.6% compare
- 122 Suriname 34.9% compare
- 124 Saint Helena 33.7% compare
- 125 Gabon 33.2% compare
- 126 Pakistan 32.9% compare
More environment data for New Zealand
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.2131 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.69 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.379 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 15.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.0722 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 4.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in New Zealand?
- Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in New Zealand was 34.0% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 34.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.8% in 2000.
- How does New Zealand rank for protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas?
- New Zealand ranks 123rd out of 184 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.
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About this data
Average proportion of Mountain Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).