Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Norway
Norway: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 55.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Norway, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Norway recorded 55.1% for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Norway peaked at 55.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 36.5%, in 2000.
Norway ranks 74th 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 Norway, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 36.5% | — |
| 2001 | 36.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 46.1% | +26.4% |
| 2003 | 48.1% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 48.4% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 49.0% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 49.3% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 49.3% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 50.3% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 50.6% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 50.9% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 51.1% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 51.2% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 53.3% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 53.5% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 55.1% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 55.1% | +0.0% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 55.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 49.1%, 1.1× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Norway's 55.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 78.5%, 70% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Norway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +26.4% | 36.5% | 46.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 46.4% | 36.5% | 50.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.4% | 50.9% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.1% | 55.1% | 55.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 71 Sri Lanka 58.0% compare
- 72 Pitcairn 57.2% compare
- 73 Morocco 57.0% compare
- 75 Saint Helena 54.8% compare
- 76 Norfolk Island 54.4% compare
- 77 French Guiana 54.3% compare
More environment data for Norway
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.9857 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.8118 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.738 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.52 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.08 % 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 -0.28 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Norway?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Norway was 55.1% 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 Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 55.1% in 2016.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.5% in 2000.
- How does Norway rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- Norway ranks 74th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway 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 (%).