Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malaysia
Malaysia: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 19.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malaysia, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malaysia is 19.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malaysia peaked at 19.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 2000.
That places Malaysia 143rd 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.5% | — |
| 2001 | 10.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 10.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10.5% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 12.6% | +19.4% |
| 2006 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12.7% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 12.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 12.7% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 16.1% | +26.9% |
| 2011 | 16.1% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 16.3% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 17.9% | +9.6% |
| 2014 | 18.2% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 19.7% | +8.2% |
| 2016 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 19.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 43.8%, 45% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 19.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 22.1%, 89% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.6% | 10.5% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.3% | 16.1% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.7% | 19.7% | 19.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 140 Anguilla 23.2% compare
- 141 Russia 22.7% compare
- 142 Turks and Caicos Islands 22.3% compare
- 144 East Timor 19.6% compare
- 145 Falkland Islands 18.3% compare
- 146 Tonga 17.6% compare
More environment data for Malaysia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.179 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -2.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.33 % 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 0.9114 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malaysia?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malaysia was 19.7% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 2015.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 2000.
- How does Malaysia rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- Malaysia ranks 143rd out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 (%).