Terrestrial protected areas in Botswana

Botswana: Terrestrial protected areas was 27.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
27.6%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
49th
of 213 countries
All-time high
29.1%
in 2013
All-time low
27.6%
in 2025
Years of data
13
2013–2025

Terrestrial protected areas in Botswana, 2013–2025

01020302013201920252013: 29.1 % of total land area2014: 29.1 % of total land area2015: 29.1 % of total land area2016: 29.1 % of total land area2017: 29.1 % of total land area2018: 29.1 % of total land area2019: 29.1 % of total land area2020: 29.1 % of total land area2021: 29.1 % of total land area2022: 29.1 % of total land area2023: 29.1 % of total land area2024: 29.1 % of total land area2025: 27.6 % of total land area

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 . Measured in % of total land area.

Analysis

The most recent figure for terrestrial protected areas in Botswana is 27.6%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.

That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in Botswana peaked at 29.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 27.6%, in 2025.

That places Botswana 49th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 29.1% 29.1% 29.1% 7
2020s 28.9% 27.6% 29.1% 6

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 46 Zimbabwe 28.3% compare
  2. 47 Spain 28.1% compare
  3. 48 Togo 27.9% compare
  4. 49 Israel 27.6% compare
  5. 51 Senegal 27.5% compare
  6. 52 Andorra 27.3% compare

See the full ranking of 260 places →

More climate change data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is terrestrial protected areas in Botswana?
Terrestrial protected areas in Botswana was 27.6% in 2025, according to 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 .
What is the highest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 2013.
What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 27.6% in 2025.
How does Botswana rank for terrestrial protected areas?
Botswana ranks 49th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from 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 , published as part of Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area)
Unit
% of total land area
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
260 places, 3,357 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

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 areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.