Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in China
China: Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 10.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in China, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in China stood at 10.7%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in China peaked at 10.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2000.
That places China 149th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.7% | — |
| 2001 | 2.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | +49.8% |
| 2003 | 4.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4.8% | +19.4% |
| 2005 | 4.8% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | +43.5% |
| 2007 | 6.9% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 7.3% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 7.3% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8.4% | +14.4% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8.9% | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.3% | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 9.3% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 10.1% | +8.3% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 10.3% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 10.7% | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.2% | 2.7% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.0% | 7.3% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.6% | 10.3% | 10.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate -6.07 % 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 0.0086 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -3.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per capita 0.0052 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate 1.38 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in China?
- Share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in China was 10.7% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2000.
- How does China rank for share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- China ranks 149th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average proportion of Freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).