Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Belgium
Belgium: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 18.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Belgium, 2013–2025
Source: Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring. Measured in % of total territorial area.
Analysis
In 2025, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Belgium stood at 18.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Belgium peaked at 26.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 17.6%, in 2020.
That places Belgium 65th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 24.3% | — |
| 2014 | 24.2% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 24.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 24.6% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 24.7% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 24.6% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 17.6% | -32.6% |
| 2021 | 17.8% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 17.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 17.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 18.5% | +3.9% |
| 2025 | 18.6% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 24.7% | 24.2% | 26.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 18.0% | 17.6% | 18.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More climate change data for Belgium
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 8,360 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,597 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.65 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 235.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,004 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 993.72 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.75 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.3575 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Belgium?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Belgium was 18.6% in 2025, according to Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring.
- What is the highest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 26.1% in 2019.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.6% in 2020.
- How does Belgium rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Belgium ranks 65th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring, published as part of Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine protected areas are areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain--and overlying water and associated flora and fauna and historical and cultural features--that have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment. Sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.