Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 85.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 85.4%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in United Kingdom peaked at 85.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 80.2%, in 2000.
That places United Kingdom 28th out of 190 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 80.2% | — |
| 2001 | 80.8% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 81.0% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 81.2% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 81.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 82.4% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 82.8% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 82.8% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 82.8% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 82.8% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 83.2% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 84.2% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 84.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 84.3% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 84.8% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 84.8% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 84.8% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 85.1% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 85.4% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 85.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 85.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 85.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 85.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 85.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 85.4% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 85.4% | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 85.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 49.1%, 1.7× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 85.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 78.5%, 1.1× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 81.8% | 80.2% | 82.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.6% | 83.2% | 85.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.4% | 85.4% | 85.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.25 Percentage change (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -2.38 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.47 % 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 -0.8735 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in United Kingdom?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in United Kingdom was 85.4% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 85.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.2% in 2000.
- How does United Kingdom rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- United Kingdom ranks 28th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 (%).