Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance) — total number of designated sites by country

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is the main global treaty focused specifically on conserving and wisely using wetlands. Countries that are Contracting Parties designate “Ramsar Sites” (Wetlands of International Importance) to recognize high-value wetlands for biodiversity, water security, and climate resilience.

This statistic counts how many Ramsar Sites each country has designated (not the total area). A higher count can reflect extensive wetland diversity, long-standing participation in Ramsar, and an active protected-areas policy. However, site count is not the same as protection quality, funding, management effectiveness, or total wetland area—some countries designate a few very large sites, while others designate many smaller ones.