Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Japan
Japan: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 66.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Japan, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 66.2% 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 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Japan peaked at 66.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.8%, in 2000.
Japan ranks 57th of 190 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.
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.8% | — |
| 2001 | 17.8% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 18.2% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 19.9% | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 19.9% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | +11.4% |
| 2006 | 23.2% | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 26.7% | +15.0% |
| 2008 | 28.3% | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 30.2% | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 30.5% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 32.8% | +7.7% |
| 2012 | 36.0% | +9.7% |
| 2013 | 48.6% | +34.9% |
| 2014 | 52.4% | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 54.0% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 54.1% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 54.3% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 57.4% | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 58.4% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 59.3% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 60.4% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 64.9% | +7.5% |
| 2023 | 66.2% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 66.2% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 66.2% | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 66.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 49.1%, 1.3× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Japan's 66.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 22.1%, 3.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +34.9% | 36.0% | 48.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.4% | 17.8% | 30.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.8% | 30.5% | 58.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.9% | 59.3% | 66.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More environment data for Japan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.8 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.358 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -3.12 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -2.8 % 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 -0.4957 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Japan?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Japan was 66.2% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 66.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.8% in 2000.
- How does Japan rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- Japan ranks 57th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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 (%).