Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Iceland
Iceland: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 16.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Iceland, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 16.1% for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Iceland peaked at 16.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 2000.
That places Iceland 149th out of 190 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.
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.8% | — |
| 2001 | 9.8% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 9.9% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 10.3% | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 10.3% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11.8% | +15.1% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 12.2% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | +19.1% |
| 2013 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 14.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 16.1% | +10.7% |
| 2022 | 16.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 16.1% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 16.1% | +0.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 16.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 49.1%, 33% of the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 16.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 78.5%, 21% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.2% | 9.8% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.1% | 11.8% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.9% | 14.6% | 16.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More environment data for Iceland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8549 % 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 -1.93 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Iceland?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Iceland was 16.1% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 2021.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 2000.
- How does Iceland rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- Iceland ranks 149th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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 marine 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 Marine Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).