Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malta
Malta: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 98.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malta, 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 Malta is 98.9%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 45.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malta peaked at 98.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 55.6%, in 2000.
That places Malta 9th out of 190 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malta, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 55.6% | — |
| 2001 | 55.6% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 55.8% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 59.3% | +6.3% |
| 2004 | 59.7% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 60.1% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 60.1% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 65.2% | +8.6% |
| 2008 | 65.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 65.2% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 68.0% | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 68.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 68.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 68.0% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 68.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 68.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 98.9% | +45.3% |
| 2017 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 98.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 49.1%, 2.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Malta's 98.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 36.4%, 2.7× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 60.2% | 55.6% | 65.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.4% | 68.0% | 98.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.9% | 98.9% | 98.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More environment data for Malta
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.365 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.16 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8269 % 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 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malta?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Malta was 98.9% 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 98.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.6% in 2000.
- How does Malta rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- Malta ranks 9th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malta 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 (%).