Over 22.1 per cent of Australia's landmass is protected in the National Reserve System (NRS) and is made up of over 14,000 protected areas. In all, the NRS covers an area bigger than the Northern Territory.
| IUCN Category | Number of protected areas | Protected area (ha) | Average size (ha) | % of Australia | Contribution to NRS (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ia | 2,663 | 15,830,920 | 5,945 | 2.06% | 9.32% |
| Ib | 67 | 3,855,903 | 57,551 | 0.50% | 2.27% |
| II | 1,134 | 39,491,130 | 34,825 | 5.14% | 23.24% |
| III | 2,421 | 1,874,785 | 774 | 0.24% | 1.1% |
| IV | 4,643 | 2,477,433 | 534 | 0.32% | 1.46% |
| V | 361 | 8,002,906 | 22,169 | 1.04% | 4.71% |
| VI | 1,352 | 98,133,222 | 72,584 | 12.76% | 57.75% |
| Not Applicable | 9 | 2,825 | 314 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Not Assigned | 1,397 | 272,138 | 195 | 0.04% | 0.16% |
| Not Reported | 1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| TOTAL | - | 169,941,262 | 12,097 | 22.1% | 100.00% |
The terrestrial protected areas in Australia by IUCN Management Category are depicted below.
Download National Reserve System - IUCN categories (PDF 1.72 MB)
Additional maps on reserves in the National Reserve System are available on the maps and data page