Countries Ranked by Protected terrestrial area share (2025)
Protected terrestrial area share: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Seychelles ranks #1 with 68.1% of land area. New Caledonia is second with 59.6% of land area, 14.3% behind. The top five are Seychelles, New Caledonia, Venezuela, RB, Bhutan and Liechtenstein. The median across all 213 is 17% of land area; Somalia, Fed. Rep. is last at 0% of land area. Seychelles's figure has risen 62% since 2013 (42.1% of land area to 68.1% of land area in 2025).
- #1
- Seychelles · 68.1% of land area
- Median
- 17% of land area
- Coverage
- 213 countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 213. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Seychelles
Seychelles ranks #1 on this list with 68.1% of land area.
- Capital
- Victoria
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 122,730 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.39 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,449 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in physicians per 1,000 · #8 in male population share · #12 in secure internet servers per million.
#2 New Caledonia
New Caledonia ranks #2 on this list with 59.6% of land area.
- Capital
- Nouméa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 295,330 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$8.55 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$29,213 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 78.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 68.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #4 in protected marine area share · #4 in mineral rents share of gdp · #7 in cereal yield.
#3 Venezuela, RB
Venezuela, RB ranks #3 on this list with 56.8% of land area.
- Capital
- Caracas
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 28.52 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$99.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,495 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 89.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia.
Also ranks #1 in time to start a business (days) · #11 in refugee population by origin · #15 in forest area.
#4 Bhutan
Bhutan ranks #4 on this list with 51.6% of land area.
- Capital
- Thimphu
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 796,680 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.58 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,493 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 43.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in gross capital formation rate · #4 in water resources per capita · #5 in government debt share of gdp.
#5 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein ranks #5 on this list with 44.8% of land area.
- Capital
- Vaduz
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 41,024 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$8.91 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$220,170 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 84.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 14.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in rural population share · #1 in researchers in r&d per million · #2 in gdp per capita.
#6 Bulgaria
Bulgaria ranks #6 on this list with 44.3% of land area.
- Capital
- Sofia
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 6.43 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$130.78 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$20,328 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 75.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 74.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Sofia.
Also ranks #2 in death rate · #2 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #6 in hospital beds per 10,000.
#7 Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands ranks #7 on this list with 43.5% of land area.
- Capital
- Cockburn Town
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 46,855 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.75 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$37,507 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 78.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 94.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in homicide rate · #2 in completion rate (primary) · #4 in completion rate (lower secondary).
#8 Guinea
Guinea ranks #8 on this list with 42.6% of land area.
- Capital
- Conakry
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 15.1 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$28.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,877 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 60.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 38.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Conakry.
Also ranks #6 in under-5 mortality rate · #7 in infant mortality rate · #7 in official exchange rate.
#9 Hong Kong SAR, China
Hong Kong SAR, China ranks #9 on this list with 42% of land area.
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 7.5 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$427.31 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$56,983 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 85.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
- International tourist arrivals
- 3.57 million arrivals (2020)
Also ranks #1 in female population share · #1 in trade share of gdp · #2 in female life expectancy.
#10 Greenland
Greenland ranks #10 on this list with 41.9% of land area.
- Capital
- Nuuk
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 56,831 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.33 billion (2023)
- GDP per person
- US$58,499 (2023)
- Life expectancy
- 70.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 88.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #4 in political stability score · #9 in gross capital formation rate · #11 in rule of law score.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Protected terrestrial area share: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator ER.LND.PTLD.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area): Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.