Terrestrial protected areas in Belgium
Belgium: Terrestrial protected areas was 16.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Terrestrial 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 land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for terrestrial protected areas in Belgium is 16.4%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 28.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in Belgium peaked at 24.9% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 15.4%, in 2020.
Belgium ranks 112th of 213 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial protected areas in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 22.9% | — |
| 2014 | 22.8% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 22.8% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 23.3% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 23.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 23.3% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 24.9% | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 15.4% | -38.2% |
| 2021 | 15.5% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 15.6% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 16.3% | +4.5% |
| 2025 | 16.4% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.3% | 22.8% | 24.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 15.8% | 15.4% | 16.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 109 Burkina Faso 16.8% compare
- 110 Antigua and Barbuda 16.5% compare
- 110 Curacao 16.5% compare
- 112 American Samoa 16.4% compare
- 112 Denmark 16.4% compare
- 115 Marshall Islands 16.1% compare
- 115 East Timor 16.1% compare
- 115 Uganda 16.1% compare
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 protected areas in Belgium?
- Terrestrial protected areas in Belgium was 16.4% 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 protected areas recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 24.9% in 2019.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.4% in 2020.
- How does Belgium rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- Belgium ranks 112th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.1%. 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 protected areas (% of total land 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 areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.