Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Congo
Congo: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 57.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Congo, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Congo is 57.4%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Congo peaked at 57.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2000.
That places Congo 86th 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 Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.9% | — |
| 2001 | 26.5% | +66.0% |
| 2002 | 26.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 26.5% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 26.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 26.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 26.5% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 29.6% | +11.8% |
| 2008 | 33.1% | +11.9% |
| 2009 | 39.1% | +18.2% |
| 2010 | 39.1% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 39.1% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 43.5% | +11.1% |
| 2013 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 47.8% | +9.9% |
| 2018 | 47.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 47.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 47.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 47.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 52.5% | +9.9% |
| 2023 | 57.4% | +9.4% |
| 2024 | 57.4% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 57.4% | +0.0% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 57.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 45.6%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 57.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 55.5%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.7% | 15.9% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.9% | 39.1% | 47.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.4% | 47.8% | 57.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More environment data for Congo
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -9.96 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.202 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.13 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8453 % 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 -0.4756 % 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 Congo?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Congo was 57.4% 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 57.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2000.
- How does Congo rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Congo ranks 86th out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Congo 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 (%).