Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Malaysia
Malaysia: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 37.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Malaysia, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 37.0% 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 unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Malaysia peaked at 37.0% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 22.7%, in 2000.
That places Malaysia 151st 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 22.7% | — |
| 2001 | 22.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 23.4% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 23.4% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 23.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 24.8% | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 24.9% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 27.2% | +9.3% |
| 2008 | 27.9% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 28.3% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 31.6% | +11.6% |
| 2011 | 31.6% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 32.0% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 35.3% | +10.4% |
| 2014 | 36.3% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 37.0% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 37.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 42.8%, 86% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 37.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 38.5%, 96% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.9% | 22.7% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.2% | 31.6% | 37.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.0% | 37.0% | 37.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More environment data for Malaysia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.179 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.33 % 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 0.9114 % 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 Malaysia?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Malaysia was 37.0% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 37.0% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.7% in 2000.
- How does Malaysia rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Malaysia ranks 151st out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 (%).