Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in United States of America
United States of America: Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 30.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in United States of America, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United States of America recorded 30.6% for share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in United States of America peaked at 30.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 2000.
United States of America ranks 121st of 164 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.
Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 23.8% | — |
| 2001 | 24.5% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 24.6% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 25.0% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 25.2% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 25.2% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 25.7% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 26.8% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 27.3% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 27.4% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 28.0% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 28.2% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 28.7% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 29.1% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 29.6% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 30.0% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 30.1% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 30.1% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 30.2% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 30.6% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.6% | 23.8% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.5% | 28.0% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.6% | 30.6% | 30.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More environment data for United States of America
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.16 Percentage change (2025)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.91 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.62 Percentage change (2024)
- Heating Degree Days 6,193 (2024)
- Cooling Degree Days 1,199 (2024)
- Total fisheries production 4.68 million metric tons (2024)
- Capture fisheries production 4.21 million metric tons (2024)
- Aquaculture production 467,617 metric tons (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Waste 9.94 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in United States of America?
- Share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in United States of America was 30.6% 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 United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 30.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 2000.
- How does United States of America rank for share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- United States of America ranks 121st out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America 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
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average proportion of Freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).