Protected & Conserved Areas

How much of Canada’s land and water is protected

How much of Canada is protected

Canada has committed to conserving 30% of its land and ocean by 2030. This is also known internationally as the “30 by 30” goal. As of 2024, about 14% of the country’s land was protected or under other effective area-based conservation measures. The share varies widely by jurisdiction: the map below runs from around 5% in Prince Edward Island to 21% in Yukon, reflecting both geography and differing provincial and territorial conservation efforts.

Canada’s national parks

Beyond the headline percentages, Parks Canada looks after more than 40 national parks and park reserves. Each circle below is a park, placed at its centre and sized by area. Zoom and pan to explore. A handful of vast northern parks anchor the system (Wood Buffalo is the biggest), alongside small, heavily-visited southern parks like Point Pelee and the Thousand Islands.

➜ See every park’s actual boundary: a detailed map of more than 700 national, provincial, and territorial park shapes, coloured by who manages them.

Progress toward “30 by 30”

The conserved share of Canada has roughly tripled since 1990, from about 4% of the land to 14%. The marine share has climbed even faster. Both, however, remain short of the 30% target now set for 2030.

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