Protected areas by country
Countries reporting
35
Highest
155,092 Square kilometre
France
Lowest
91 Square kilometre
Malta
Median
18,324 Square kilometre
Years covered
13
2011–2023
Data points
468
What the numbers show
Protected areas is currently reported for 35 countries. The highest value is 155,092 Square kilometre in France; the lowest is 91 Square kilometre in Malta.
The median across all reporting countries is 18,324 Square kilometre, and the mean is 37,273 Square kilometre.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 1,704.
Over the past decade 34 countries rose and 1 fell. The largest increase was in Cyprus (up 112.1%), and the largest decrease in Greece (down 0.0%).
Protected areas: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 155,092 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 22.1% | rising |
| 2 | Spain | 142,166 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 3 | Germany | 139,798 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 4.7% | flat |
| 4 | Poland | 123,528 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 4 | Poland | 123,528 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 6 | Sweden | 68,823 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 8.0% | rising |
| 7 | Italy | 64,432 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 8 | Romania | 55,898 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 9 | Bulgaria | 49,110 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 9.4% | flat |
| 10 | Greece | 45,721 Square kilometre | 2023 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 11 | Finland | 45,173 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 12 | Austria | 24,609 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 13 | Croatia | 21,532 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 13 | Croatia | 21,532 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 15 | Portugal | 20,737 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 1.4% | flat |
| 16 | Hungary | 20,688 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 17 | Slovakia | 18,324 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 17 | Slovakia | 18,324 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 19 | Czechia | 17,257 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 2.2% | flat |
| 20 | Latvia | 11,910 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 20 | Latvia | 11,910 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 22 | Lithuania | 11,617 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 5.4% | flat |
| 22 | Lithuania | 11,617 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 5.4% | flat |
| 24 | Netherlands | 9,899 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 52.8% | rising |
| 24 | Netherlands | 9,899 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 52.8% | rising |
| 26 | Ireland | 9,753 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 27 | Estonia | 9,655 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 27 | Estonia | 9,655 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 29 | Slovenia | 8,213 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 29 | Slovenia | 8,213 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 31 | Denmark | 6,652 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 1.2% | flat |
| 32 | Belgium | 4,739 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 33 | Cyprus | 3,470 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 112.1% | rising |
| 34 | Luxembourg | 1,001 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 53.3% | rising |
| 35 | Malta | 91 Square kilometre | 2023 | up 1.1% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 1.09 million Square kilometre