Protected areas — all countries

Protected areas — Iceland

Protected areas in Iceland in 2025 — 2.9%. Ranked 163 in the world out of 213. Since 2013, the indicator has risen by 0.2 pp.

2025 2.9% +0 pp vs 2024
World rank 163of 213
Period maximum 2.9%2022
Period minimum 2.3%2014

Trend over time

2013–2025 · % of territory

Protected areas — Iceland, 2013–20252.22.42.62.8320132015201720192021202320252013: 2.7%2014: 2.3%2015: 2.3%2016: 2.4%2017: 2.5%2018: 2.5%2019: 2.7%2020: 2.8%2021: 2.8%2022: 2.9%2023: 2.9%2024: 2.9%2025: 2.9%
Change over the period: +0.2 pp Annual average: 0.02 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Iceland 2.9%
World 16.98%
Protected areas — Iceland, by year Iceland All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 2.9 +0 pp
2024 2.9 +0 pp
2023 2.9 +0 pp
2022 2.9 +0.1 pp
2021 2.8 +0 pp
2020 2.8 +0.1 pp
2019 2.7 +0.2 pp
2018 2.5 +0 pp
2017 2.5 +0.1 pp
2016 2.4 +0.1 pp
2015 2.3 +0 pp
2014 2.3 −0.4 pp
2013 2.7

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.