Marine Habitat protection
This indicator measures the percentage of important marine and coastal habitats – coral reefs, cold-water corals, sea grasses, salt marshes, mangroves, knolls, and seamounts – within a country's maritime zone(s) that are covered by marine protected areas or Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
NB: Landlocked countries are not scored on this indicator, nor are countries who do not have important marine and coastal habitats within their marine zone(s). Weight assigned to this indicator is reapportioned to other indicators within the Biodiversity & Habitat issue category.
EPI MeasureMarine Habitat Protection
Click on a country name to see that country's full results table
| Country | Rank | EPI Score | 10-Year Change | Regional Rank | Regional Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Performance Index 2026 | EPI Measurement | Marine Habitat Protection | |||
| Netherlands | 1 | 96.18 | 0.0 | 1 | 50.06 |
| Palau | 2 | 93.95 | 0.0 | 1 | 16.05 |
| Estonia | 3 | 82.49 | 0.0 | 1 | 38.74 |
| United Kingdom | 4 | 82.27 | 30.11 | 2 | 50.06 |
| France | 5 | 72.98 | 1.5 | 3 | 50.06 |
| Bangladesh | 6 | 70.1 | 52.07 | 1 | 18.8 |
| Ukraine | 7 | 68.43 | 0.0 | 1 | 35.78 |
| Japan | 8 | 63.78 | 18.29 | 2 | 16.05 |
| Oman | 9 | 60.06 | 54.99 | 1 | 19.24 |
| Dominican Republic | 10 | 59.65 | 6.86 | 1 | 28.3 |
| Spain | 11 | 58.64 | 1.22 | 4 | 50.06 |
| Malta | 12 | 57.88 | 1.28 | 5 | 50.06 |
| Colombia | 13 | 50.64 | 15.46 | 2 | 28.3 |
| Australia | 14 | 50.59 | 23.04 | 6 | 50.06 |
| Seychelles | 15 | 50.24 | 45.52 | 1 | 17.14 |
| Mexico | 16 | 50.09 | 14.66 | 3 | 28.3 |
| Denmark | 17 | 49.93 | 1.54 | 7 | 50.06 |
| Ecuador | 18 | 49.43 | 2.55 | 4 | 28.3 |
| South Africa | 19 | 48.47 | 9.3 | 2 | 17.14 |
| Ireland | 20 | 46.52 | 10.93 | 8 | 50.06 |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | 21 | 46.32 | 46.32 | 5 | 28.3 |
| Argentina | 22 | 45.5 | 23.55 | 6 | 28.3 |
| United States | 23 | 45.08 | 0.0 | 9 | 50.06 |
| Costa Rica | 24 | 44.97 | 6.61 | 7 | 28.3 |
| Brazil | 25 | 44.58 | 13.8 | 8 | 28.3 |
| Chile | 26 | 44.31 | 23.92 | 9 | 28.3 |
| Nicaragua | 26 | 44.31 | 0.0 | 9 | 28.3 |
| Portugal | 28 | 44.3 | 2.58 | 10 | 50.06 |
| Belize | 29 | 40.89 | 28.34 | 11 | 28.3 |
| United Arab Emirates | 30 | 40.8 | 3.82 | 2 | 19.24 |
| Italy | 31 | 39.99 | 5.64 | 11 | 50.06 |
| Suriname | 32 | 37.82 | 0.0 | 12 | 28.3 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 33 | 37.78 | 0.0 | 3 | 17.14 |
| Tanzania | 34 | 37.57 | 0.0 | 4 | 17.14 |
| Croatia | 35 | 37.06 | 2.24 | 2 | 38.74 |
| Greece | 36 | 34.14 | 0.0 | 3 | 38.74 |
| Thailand | 37 | 33.52 | 15.02 | 3 | 16.05 |
| Antigua & Barbuda | 38 | 33.2 | 0.23 | 13 | 28.3 |
| Norway | 39 | 33.03 | 1.97 | 12 | 50.06 |
| Peru | 40 | 32.15 | 3.09 | 14 | 28.3 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 41 | 31.75 | 0.0 | 5 | 17.14 |
| Iceland | 42 | 30.18 | 0.0 | 13 | 50.06 |
| Honduras | 43 | 29.21 | 7.95 | 15 | 28.3 |
| Mauritania | 44 | 28.28 | 0.0 | 6 | 17.14 |
| Guinea | 45 | 27.21 | 0.0 | 7 | 17.14 |
| Qatar | 46 | 26.76 | 0.0 | 3 | 19.24 |
| Senegal | 47 | 26.42 | 24.27 | 8 | 17.14 |
| Tunisia | 48 | 25.77 | 0.0 | 4 | 19.24 |
| Iran | 49 | 24.28 | 0.0 | 5 | 19.24 |
| Cyprus | 50 | 24.13 | 4.13 | 4 | 38.74 |
| Canada | 51 | 23.92 | 14.01 | 14 | 50.06 |
| Mozambique | 52 | 23.66 | 8.54 | 9 | 17.14 |
| Comoros | 53 | 23.35 | 0.0 | 10 | 17.14 |
| Uruguay | 54 | 22.34 | 0.0 | 16 | 28.3 |
| Fiji | 55 | 21.18 | 0.15 | 4 | 16.05 |
| Panama | 56 | 21.03 | 0.05 | 17 | 28.3 |
| Indonesia | 57 | 20.98 | 12.54 | 5 | 16.05 |
| Guatemala | 58 | 20.1 | 0.0 | 18 | 28.3 |
| New Zealand | 59 | 19.34 | 0.0 | 15 | 50.06 |
| Haiti | 60 | 18.42 | 5.35 | 19 | 28.3 |
| Mauritius | 61 | 17.3 | 0.0 | 11 | 17.14 |
| South Korea | 62 | 17.27 | 0.0 | 6 | 16.05 |
| Egypt | 63 | 17.17 | 0.0 | 6 | 19.24 |
| Türkiye | 64 | 15.87 | 0.0 | 5 | 38.74 |
| Sudan | 65 | 15.69 | 0.0 | 7 | 19.24 |
| Madagascar | 66 | 15.32 | 2.5 | 12 | 17.14 |
| Bahrain | 67 | 15.1 | 15.1 | 8 | 19.24 |
| Malaysia | 68 | 14.49 | 6.67 | 7 | 16.05 |
| Saudi Arabia | 69 | 14.26 | 11.65 | 9 | 19.24 |
| Kenya | 70 | 13.21 | 0.0 | 13 | 17.14 |
| Sri Lanka | 71 | 12.95 | 0.01 | 2 | 18.8 |
| Saint Lucia | 72 | 11.69 | 0.0 | 20 | 28.3 |
| Bahamas | 73 | 11.58 | 0.0 | 21 | 28.3 |
| Taiwan | 74 | 11.15 | 0.0 | 8 | 16.05 |
| St. Vincent & the Gren. | 75 | 10.73 | 0.0 | 22 | 28.3 |
| Sierra Leone | 76 | 10.7 | 0.0 | 14 | 17.14 |
| Kuwait | 77 | 10.17 | 0.76 | 10 | 19.24 |
| Jamaica | 78 | 10.06 | 0.0 | 23 | 28.3 |
| India | 79 | 9.54 | 6.05 | 3 | 18.8 |
| China | 80 | 7.97 | 1.04 | 9 | 16.05 |
| Kiribati | 81 | 7.96 | 0.0 | 10 | 16.05 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 82 | 7.57 | 0.0 | 24 | 28.3 |
| Viet Nam | 83 | 5.53 | 0.0 | 11 | 16.05 |
| Philippines | 84 | 5.22 | 3.83 | 12 | 16.05 |
| Papua New Guinea | 85 | 4.33 | 0.0 | 13 | 16.05 |
| Tonga | 86 | 3.75 | 0.0 | 14 | 16.05 |
| Grenada | 87 | 3.42 | 1.63 | 25 | 28.3 |
| Russia | 88 | 3.13 | 1.11 | 2 | 35.78 |
| Cabo Verde | 89 | 3.02 | 0.0 | 15 | 17.14 |
| Solomon Islands | 90 | 2.68 | 0.0 | 15 | 16.05 |
| Vanuatu | 91 | 2.61 | 0.0 | 16 | 16.05 |
| Dominica | 92 | 2.47 | 0.0 | 26 | 28.3 |
| Myanmar | 93 | 2.32 | 0.2 | 17 | 16.05 |
| Samoa | 94 | 2.26 | 0.0 | 18 | 16.05 |
| Maldives | 95 | 1.4 | 0.68 | 4 | 18.8 |
| Algeria | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 19.24 |
| Angola | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |
| Barbados | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27 | 28.3 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 19 | 16.05 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |
| Djibouti | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |
| El Salvador | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27 | 28.3 |
| Ghana | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |
| Lebanon | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 19.24 |
| Liberia | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |
| Morocco | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 19.24 |
| Namibia | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |
| Nigeria | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |
| Pakistan | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 18.8 |
| Singapore | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 19 | 16.05 |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 | 17.14 |