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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

11976
Total Protected Areas
7140 With management effectiveness evaluations
Terrestrial and Inland Waters Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas
Other effective area-based conservation measures
0
Total Other effective area-based conservation measures
Polygons/Points ratio
Polygons 100%
Points 0%
Discover Protected Areas and OECMs
Terrestrial and Inland Waters Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas
Other effective area-based conservation measures
ON
Map Disclaimer
The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

• Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.
• Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined.
• Final status of the Abyei area is not yet determined.
• A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

Terrestrial and inland waters protected area coverage

28.45% Coverage

69,749km2 Land area covered

245,133km2 Total land area

28.00% 6th National Report coverage

PAME

9.05% With management effectiveness evaluations

22,176km2 Areas assessed

Marine protected area Coverage

46.76% Coverage

340,310km2 Marine and coastal area covered

727,745km2 Total marine and coastal area

24.00% 6th National Report coverage

PAME

0.51% With management effectiveness evaluations

3,704km2 Areas assessed

Disclaimer: These statistics might differ from those reported officially by countries due to difference in methodologies and datasets used to assess protected area coverage and differences in the base maps used to measure terrestrial and marine area of a country or territory.

IUCN Management Categories

SeriesChart100%Chart created using amCharts library

Governance types

SeriesChart100%Chart created using amCharts library

Sources 8

  1. Protected Areas of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Updated: 2024 Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
  2. UK UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves Updated: 2020 Joint Nature Conservation Committee
  3. Common Database on Designated Areas as provided by the European Environment Agency (EEA) Updated: 2022 European Environment Agency (EEA)
  4. UNESCO World Heritage Sites Updated: 2024 IUCN World Heritage Programme
  5. Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance Updated: 2023 Ramsar Secretariat, on behalf of Ramsar Contracting Parties
  6. OSPAR Marine Protected Areas Network Updated: 2021 OSPAR Commission, Victoria House, 37-63 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 4DA, UK
  7. Privately protected areas of the UK Updated: 2017 Putting Nature on the Map, IUCN
  8. Emerald Network Updated: 2024 Council of Europe

Designations

  • 88.17%
  • 10.49%
  • 1.34%

National designations

10559
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 42
  • Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty 6
  • Area of Special Scientific Interest 394
  • Community Marine Conservation Area 1
  • Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area 1
  • Heritage Coast 46
  • Local Nature Reserve 1876
  • Marine Conservation Zone 100
  • National Nature Reserve 355
  • National Nature Reserve, Wetland of International Importance, Site of Community Importance, Special Protection Area Site of Community Importance 1
  • National Park 15
  • National Scenic Area 41
  • Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area 36
  • Nature Reserve 985
  • Nature Reserves 11
  • Regional Park 3
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest 6636
  • Site Of Special Scientific Interest (Gb) 1
  • Wildland reserve 9

Regional designations

1256
  • Emerald Network 941
  • Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) 313
  • Special Protection Area (Birds Directive) 2

International designations

161
  • Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance 151
  • UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 7
  • World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) 3

Other designations

0

    Related countries & territories

    • Anguilla AIA View
    • Bermuda BMU View
    • British Virgin Islands VGB View
    • Cayman Islands CYM View
    • Falkland Islands (Malvinas) FLK View
    • Montserrat MSR View
    • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands SGS View
    • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha SHN View
    • Pitcairn Islands PCN View
    • Turks and Caicos Islands TCA View
    • Jersey JEY View
    • Guernsey GGY View
    • Gibraltar GIB View
    • Isle of Man IMN View

    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Protected Areas

    View all

    Abberton Reservoir

    Abberton Reservoir

    Abberton Reservoir

    citation

    UNEP-WCMC (2025). Protected Area Profile for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the World Database on Protected Areas, March 2025. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

    Downloads
    Citation

    UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2025), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) [Online], March 2025, Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.