Share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland

Switzerland: Share of land defined as natural habitat was 56.69 in 2010. ▼ Falling

Latest (2010)
56.69
World rank
88th
of 168 countries
All-time high
60.24
in 1810
All-time low
39.27
in 1970
Years of data
24
1780–2010

Share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland, 1780–2010

02040601780189520101780: 59.91790: 601800: 60.21810: 60.21820: 58.21830: 56.81840: 55.61850: 54.31860: 53.91870: 53.11880: 52.31890: 52.31900: 49.51910: 46.81920: 46.91930: 46.91940: 46.51950: 441960: 39.81970: 39.31980: 431990: 45.12000: 56.72010: 56.7

Source: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 56.69 for share of land defined as natural habitat in 2010.

The figure is down 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland peaked at 60.24 in 1810 and was at its lowest, 39.27, in 1970.

That places Switzerland 88th out of 168 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland, 1780 to 2010.
Year Value Change
1780 59.91
1790 60.04 +0.2%
1800 60.17 +0.2%
1810 60.24 +0.1%
1820 58.22 -3.3%
1830 56.85 -2.4%
1840 55.57 -2.3%
1850 54.32 -2.2%
1860 53.87 -0.8%
1870 53.06 -1.5%
1880 52.31 -1.4%
1890 52.29 -0.0%
1900 49.48 -5.4%
1910 46.82 -5.4%
1920 46.87 +0.1%
1930 46.87 -0.0%
1940 46.51 -0.8%
1950 44.01 -5.4%
1960 39.77 -9.6%
1970 39.27 -1.3%
1980 43 +9.5%
1990 45.09 +4.9%
2000 56.73 +25.8%
2010 56.69 -0.1%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 56.69 is below the median for high income countries, which is 61.44, 92% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 56.69 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 57.34, 99% of the median. (44 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2000 +25.8% 45.09 56.73

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 59.91 59.91 59.91 1
1790s 60.04 60.04 60.04 1
1800s 60.17 60.17 60.17 1
1810s 60.24 60.24 60.24 1
1820s 58.22 58.22 58.22 1
1830s 56.85 56.85 56.85 1
1840s 55.57 55.57 55.57 1
1850s 54.32 54.32 54.32 1
1860s 53.87 53.87 53.87 1
1870s 53.06 53.06 53.06 1
1880s 52.31 52.31 52.31 1
1890s 52.29 52.29 52.29 1
1900s 49.48 49.48 49.48 1
1910s 46.82 46.82 46.82 1
1920s 46.87 46.87 46.87 1
1930s 46.87 46.87 46.87 1
1940s 46.51 46.51 46.51 1
1950s 44.01 44.01 44.01 1
1960s 39.77 39.77 39.77 1
1970s 39.27 39.27 39.27 1
1980s 43 43 43 1
1990s 45.09 45.09 45.09 1
2000s 56.73 56.73 56.73 1
2010s 56.69 56.69 56.69 1

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 85 New Zealand 58.03 compare
  2. 86 Belarus 57.99 compare
  3. 87 Israel 56.94 compare
  4. 89 Cuba 56.39 compare
  5. 90 Dominican Republic 55.98 compare
  6. 91 Spain 55.95 compare

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More reference data data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland?
Share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland was 56.69 in 2010, according to Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 60.24 in 1810.
What is the lowest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 39.27 in 1970.
How does Switzerland rank for share of land defined as natural habitat?
Switzerland ranks 88th out of 168 countries with data for 2010.
Is share of land defined as natural habitat rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land defined as natural habitat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of land defined as natural habitat in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/land-natural-share/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of land defined as natural habitat
Source
Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
168 places, 4,032 data points, 1780–2010
Last refreshed

Natural ecosystems include forest, grassland, savanna, and shrublands, and other classes such as peatlands and marshes. It is total land minus land that is used by humans for agriculture – either croplands or pasture – or for infrastructure and urban environments.