South Sudan: Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, South Sudan's terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area) did not change 0 percentage points on 2024 (from 15.4% to 15.4%).

Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2014 to 2024), the average change was −0.42 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.35 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly fall was 4.5 percentage points in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.0097 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 48% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, South Sudan had the 83rd highest value of the 210 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to South Sudan in the 2025 ranking

• United Arab Emirates — 80th of 210: 16.1%
• Sweden — 81st of 210: 15.9%
• United States — 82nd of 210: 15.8%
• Dominican Republic — 84th of 210: 15.3%
• Pakistan — 85th of 210: 15.2%
• Japan — 86th of 210: 15.1%

What this measures

Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine protected areas are areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain--and overlying water and associated flora and fauna and historical and cultural features--that have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment. Sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.

Limitations: The data source for this indicator is the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), the most comprehensive global dataset on marine and terrestrial protected areas available. The extent to which the land areas, including inland waters, and territorial waters of a country/territory are protected is useful for planning purpose to protect biodiversity. However, it is neither an indication of how well managed the terrestrial and marine protected areas are, nor confirmation that protection measures are effectively enforced. Further, the indicator does not provide information on non-designated or internationally designated protected areas that may also be important for conserving biodiversity.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 13 values

Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area) in nearby economies

• Angola — 7.7% (2025)
• Benin — 28.8% (2025)
• Botswana — 27.6% (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 16.8% (2025)
• Burundi — 7.6% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 0.2% (2025)
• Cameroon — 11% (2025)
• Central African Republic — 14.8% (2025)
• Chad

More environment data for South Sudan

• Population in largest city — 500,088 (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 18.92% (2025)
• Rural population — 9.55 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 78.32% (2025)
• Urban population — 2.64 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 21.68% (2025)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — 1.64% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %) — 3.46% (2025)
• Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) — 53.17 (2024)
• PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is South Sudan's terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area)?

15.4% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2013?

It is down 4.6 percentage points from 20% in 2013. The highest value was 20% in 2013 and the lowest 15.4% in 2024.

How does South Sudan rank?

83rd highest of 210 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area) unusual for South Sudan?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: 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), uri: https://www.protectedplanet.net/en, publisher: Protected Planet, date acces… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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