Protected Areas of India
Protected areas are those in which human occupation or at least the exploitation of resources is limited. The definition that has been widely accepted across regional and global frameworks has been provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its categorization guidelines for protected areas. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organizations involved. The term "protected area" also includes Marine Protected Areas, the boundaries of which will include some area of ocean, and Transboundary Protected Areas that overlap multiple countries which remove the borders inside the area for conservation and economic purposes.
Protected Areas of India from 2000 to 2025 (As on February, 2025) 
|
Year
|
National Park
|
National Park Area (sq.km.)
|
Wildlife Sanctuary
|
Wildlife Sanctuary Area (sq.km.)
|
Community Reserve
|
Community Reserve Area (sq.km.)
|
Conservation Reserve
|
Conservation Reserve Area (sq.km.)
|
No. of Protected Areas
|
Total Area of Protected Areas
|
|
1970
|
5
|
2,403.24
|
59
|
10,738.27
|
-
|
-
|
19
|
336.94
|
83
|
13,478.45
|
|
1980
|
24
|
9,859.88
|
160
|
51,387.56
|
-
|
-
|
19
|
336.94
|
203
|
61,584.38
|
|
1990
|
68
|
34,581.65
|
412
|
98,948.14
|
-
|
-
|
28
|
633.91
|
508
|
1,34,163.70
|
|
2000
|
87
|
40,215.17
|
478
|
1,13,285.02
|
-
|
-
|
29
|
655.66
|
594
|
1,54,155.85
|
|
2002
|
87
|
40,215.17
|
483
|
1,13,931.40
|
-
|
-
|
29
|
655.66
|
599
|
1,54,802.23
|
|
2004
|
93
|
40,701.30
|
492
|
1,15,040.78
|
-
|
-
|
29
|
655.66
|
614
|
1,56,397.74
|
|
2006
|
95
|
40,904.23
|
494
|
1,15,078.78
|
-
|
-
|
33
|
698.53
|
622
|
1,56,681.54
|
|
2008
|
98
|
41,953.80
|
502
|
1,17,375.05
|
4
|
20.69
|
48
|
1,454.54
|
652
|
1,60,804.08
|
|
2010
|
101
|
42,780.68
|
510
|
1,18,124.08
|
7
|
50.89
|
49
|
1,459.49
|
667
|
1,62,415.14
|
|
2012
|
102
|
42,781.58
|
523
|
1,19,360.13
|
11
|
104.92
|
60
|
1,790.62
|
696
|
1,64,037.25
|
|
2014
|
103
|
42,997.92
|
539
|
1,23,511.93
|
48
|
141.02
|
67
|
2,187.50
|
757
|
1,68,838.37
|
|
2016
|
103
|
42,997.92
|
551
|
1,24,458.15
|
74
|
329.44
|
75
|
2,435.79
|
803
|
1,70,221.30
|
|
2018
|
104
|
43,746.68
|
552
|
1,24,617.15
|
147
|
862.59
|
89
|
4,121.33
|
892
|
1,73,347.75
|
|
2020
|
104
|
43,746.68
|
562
|
1,25,759.65
|
216
|
1,370.20
|
94
|
4,275.67
|
976
|
1,75,152.20
|
|
2022
|
106
|
44,402.94
|
570
|
1,26,904.08
|
220
|
1,455.15
|
107
|
5,290.82
|
1003
|
1,78,052.99
|
|
2023
|
106
|
44,402.94
|
573
|
1,27,197.55
|
220
|
1,455.15
|
123
|
5,585.05
|
1022
|
1,78,640.69
|
|
Feb 2025
|
106
|
44,402.94
|
574
|
1,27,241.24
|
309
|
8,464.13
|
145
|
7,054.60
|
1134
|
1,87,162.91
|
Note: These data are based on availability of data & Gazette Notification of Protected Areas from State Forest Department.
- Community Reserves have been established in India from 2006 onwards. Hence these values are zero.
Protected Areas of India (As on February, 2025)
|
Legal Status of Protected Area
|
Nos.
|
Total Area (sq.km.)
|
Coverage % of Country
|
|
National Park
|
106
|
44,402.94
|
1.35
|
|
Wildlife Sanctuary
|
574
|
127,241.24
|
3.87
|
|
Community Reserve
|
309
|
8,464.13
|
0.26
|
|
Conservation Reserves
|
145
|
7,054.60
|
0.21
|
|
Total PAs
|
1134
|
1,87,162.91
|
5.69
|
|
Geographical Area of India (http://knowindia.gov.in/)
|
=
|
32,87,263 km2
|
|
Forest cover of India (FSI, 2023)
|
|
|
|
Forest + Tree Cover Area 7,15,342.61 + 1,12,014.34
|
=
|
8,27,356.95 km2
|
|
Forest + Tree Cover Percentage 21.76% + 3.41%
|
=
|
25.17% of the geographical area of India
|
Download India State of Forest Report 2023 (Source: Forest Survery of India)
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Protected Areas Point Location in Bhuvan Portal (more...)
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