Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Italy
Italy: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 76.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Italy, 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 Italy stood at 76.7%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Italy peaked at 76.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 44.5%, in 2000.
Italy ranks 42nd of 240 countries on this measure, in the top 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 Italy, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 44.5% | — |
| 2001 | 45.0% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 45.4% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 49.0% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 54.5% | +11.1% |
| 2005 | 63.2% | +16.1% |
| 2006 | 66.0% | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 68.4% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 68.5% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 72.8% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 72.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 72.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 72.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 73.1% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 73.2% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 73.6% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 73.9% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 75.6% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 76.0% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 76.2% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 76.3% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 76.5% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 76.6% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 76.7% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 76.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 76.7% | +0.0% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 76.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 52.5%, 1.5× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Italy's 76.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 66.6%, 1.2× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 57.7% | 44.5% | 72.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.0% | 72.8% | 76.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.5% | 76.3% | 76.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More environment data for Italy
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.47 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.324 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.18 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.94 % 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 -0.2257 % 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 Italy?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Italy was 76.7% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 76.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.5% in 2000.
- How does Italy rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Italy ranks 42nd out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy 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 (%).