Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in India
India: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 8.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in India, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in India stood at 8.5%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 100.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in India peaked at 8.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 2000.
That places India 160th 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 India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.2% | — |
| 2001 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | +30.3% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | +14.5% |
| 2022 | 8.5% | +34.2% |
| 2023 | 8.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8.5% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 8.5% | +0.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 8.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 40.6%, 21% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.6% | 5.5% | 8.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
- 157 Montserrat 9.0% compare
- 158 China 8.8% compare
- 159 Trinidad and Tobago 8.5% compare
- 161 Marshall Islands 7.8% compare
- 162 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 6.4% compare
- 163 British Virgin Islands 6.1% compare
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 17.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.92 % 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 1.12 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in India?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in India was 8.5% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 2000.
- How does India rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- India ranks 160th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.
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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 (%).