Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Australia
Australia: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 57.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Australia, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Australia stood at 57.7%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Australia peaked at 57.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.1%, in 2000.
That places Australia 83rd out of 240 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.1% | — |
| 2001 | 33.5% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 35.5% | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 36.1% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 36.7% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 37.1% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 39.0% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 40.2% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 41.1% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 44.3% | +7.6% |
| 2010 | 45.2% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 47.7% | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 48.9% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 50.6% | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 51.0% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 51.2% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 53.4% | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 53.8% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 54.6% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 55.3% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 55.9% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 57.2% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 57.7% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 57.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 57.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 57.7% | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 57.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 52.5%, 1.1× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Australia's 57.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 38.5%, 1.5× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.7% | 33.1% | 44.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.2% | 45.2% | 55.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.3% | 55.9% | 57.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More environment data for Australia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.75 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.345 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6708 % 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 0.0861 % 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 share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Australia?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Australia was 57.7% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 57.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.1% in 2000.
- How does Australia rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Australia ranks 83rd out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected. 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 Terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).