Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) in European Union
European Union: Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) was 26.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial protected areas in European Union, 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 European Union is 26.6%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in European Union peaked at 26.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 25.1%, in 2014.
That places European Union 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) in European Union, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 25.2% | — |
| 2014 | 25.1% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 25.2% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 25.7% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 25.9% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 25.8% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 26.0% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 26.0% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 26.1% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 26.3% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 26.3% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 26.6% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 26.6% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 25.6% | 25.1% | 26.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 26.3% | 26.0% | 26.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near European Union
- 1 Seychelles 68.1% compare
- 2 New Caledonia 59.6% compare
- 3 Venezuela 56.8% compare
- 4 Bhutan 51.6% compare
- 5 Liechtenstein 44.8% compare
- 6 Bulgaria 44.3% compare
More climate change data for European Union
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.1997 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population growth 0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 451.13 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Urban population 339.13 million (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.7517 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 112.55 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in European Union?
- Terrestrial protected areas in European Union was 26.6% 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 protected areas recorded in European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 26.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.1% in 2014.
- How does European Union rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- European Union ranks 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union 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.
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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.