Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in China
China: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 10.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in China, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 10.7% for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in China peaked at 10.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2000.
China ranks 210th of 240 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
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 China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.2% | — |
| 2001 | 3.3% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | +20.7% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | +50.4% |
| 2004 | 6.5% | +8.0% |
| 2005 | 6.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 8.3% | +28.5% |
| 2007 | 8.4% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 8.6% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 8.7% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 8.7% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 9.1% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 9.1% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.6% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 9.7% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 9.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 10.2% | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 10.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 10.3% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 10.7% | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 10.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 42.8%, 25% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 10.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 38.5%, 28% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +50.4% | 4.0% | 6.0% |
| 2006 | +28.5% | 6.5% | 8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.3% | 3.2% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.5% | 8.7% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.6% | 10.3% | 10.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % 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 -0.2517 % 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 0.9037 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in China?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in China was 10.7% 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2000.
- How does China rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- China ranks 210th out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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 (%).