Protected areas — all countries

Protected areas — Costa Rica

Protected areas in Costa Rica in 2025 — 28.2%. Ranked 36 in the world out of 213. Since 2013, the indicator has risen by 25.2 pp.

2025 28.2% +0 pp vs 2024
World rank 36of 213
Period maximum 28.8%2022
Period minimum 3%2013

Trend over time

2013–2025 · % of territory

Protected areas — Costa Rica, 2013–2025010203020132015201720192021202320252013: 3%2014: 3%2015: 3%2016: 3%2017: 3%2018: 3%2019: 4.7%2020: 4.8%2021: 4.8%2022: 28.8%2023: 28.8%2024: 28.2%2025: 28.2%
Change over the period: +25.2 pp Annual average: 2.1 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Costa Rica

Costa Rica 28.2%
World 16.98%
Protected areas — Costa Rica, by year Costa Rica All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 28.2 +0 pp
2024 28.2 −0.6 pp
2023 28.8 +0 pp
2022 28.8 +24 pp
2021 4.8 +0 pp
2020 4.8 +0.1 pp
2019 4.7 +1.7 pp
2018 3 +0 pp
2017 3 +0 pp
2016 3 +0 pp
2015 3 +0 pp
2014 3 +0 pp
2013 3

Central America, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The share of terrestrial and marine protected areas in the total area of a country: national parks, nature reserves, natural monuments, sanctuaries and other IUCN categories. The target set by the Kunming-Montreal framework is 30 percent of land and sea under protection by 2030.

Important: The aggregate is weighted by total area rather than land area: protected areas include marine waters as well.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.