Kakadu National Park is one of four Australian sites included on the World Heritage List for both outstanding cultural and natural universal values. The flood plains of Kakadu illustrate the ecological effects of sea-level change in northern Australia. The park features great natural beauty and sweeping landscapes, as well as internationally important wetlands. The park is extremely important to Aboriginal people, and many communities still occupy the region. The Aboriginal art sites of Kakadu National Park are a unique artistic achievement that provides an outstanding record of human interaction with the environment over tens of thousands of years.

Kakadu National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981 (Stage 2, 1987; Stage 3, 1992). Kakadu National Park was one of 15 World Heritage places included in the National Heritage List on 21 May 2007.