Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Malawi
Malawi: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 71.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Malawi, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 71.4% for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Malawi peaked at 71.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 68.2%, in 2000.
Malawi ranks 52nd 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 68.2% | — |
| 2001 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 71.4% | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 71.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 46.4%, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 71.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 55.5%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 68.2% | 68.2% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.2% | 68.2% | 71.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.4% | 71.4% | 71.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % 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 5.3 % 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 Malawi?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Malawi was 71.4% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 71.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.2% in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Malawi ranks 52nd out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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 (%).