Austria is predominantly characterised by its mountainous terrain, encompassing an area of nearly 84,000km². It is a landlocked country, sharing borders with 8 neighbouring countries. The highest peak, Grossglockner, reaches an elevation of 3,789m. With a population of 8.9 million, Austria has a population density of 106.1 people per km².
of land covered
by protected areas
species protected
under EU law
habitats protected
under EU law
Protected areas
Protected species
Protected habitats
Ecosystems
Protected areas in Austria cover a total of km2 on land and include a diverse network consisting of Natura 2000 sites and nationally designated areas.
Percentage of area covered by protected areas
Currently, of Austria terrestrial territory is designated as protected areas, slightly above the EU value of 26.4%. The EU Biodiversity Strategy has set a target of reaching 30% protected area coverage at the EU level by 2030.
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Number of protected areas
Austria has a total of protected areas, comprising sites designated under national laws and Natura 2000 sites. These Natura 2000 sites are designated under the Birds Directive, encompassing Special Protection Areas, and the Habitats Directive, encompassing Sites of Community Importance).
Number of protected areas
Protected areas designated
under national laws
Designated sites
in the Natura 2000 network
Distribution of protected areas between national designations and Natura 2000
In Austria, almost half of the protected areas are designated exclusively under national laws. The other half consists of Natura 2000 sites () or those areas where Natura 2000 sites overlap with national designations ().
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Spatial distribution of protected areas network
Protected areas designated under national laws
Designated sites in the Natura 2000 network
Size distribution of protected areas network
The size distribution of the protected areas network in Austria aligns with the trend observed in many other EU countries, where the majority of protected areas are smaller than 1km2. Only about 1% of terrestrial protected areas are larger than 1,000km2.
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Natura 2000 sites
Natura 2000 sites in Austria cover species and habitats from the nature directives. The number of species and habitats protected in each site varies depending on the location of the site, the biodiversity in the region, the designation being used, and the features the site is being created to protect.
Species protected in Austria under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. Austria hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 15% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 53% of the species protected under the Birds Directive.
species protected under EU law
species under the Habitats Directive
species under the Birds Directive
Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive
In Austria, 14.5% of species assessments indicate a good conservation status, while the EU average corresponds to 27.5%. The proportion of assessments indicating bad conservation status is reaching , compared to the EU average of 20.6%.
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Protected species composition by taxonomic group
In Austria, the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 54.2%. They are followed by arthropods, accounting for 11% of protected species, and mammals, representing 9.3%.
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Conservation Status by Taxa
In Austria, the assessment of species groups reveals that mammals have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 30.6%, followed by molluscs, with 18.7% of species in good conservation status. Reptiles do not have any species with good conservation status. On the other hand, vascular plants exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 55.5%, while fish also have a significant proportion of species in bad conservation status at 52%.
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Habitats protected in Austria under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. Austria hosts habitat types, which is approximately 30.5% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.
habitats protected under EU law in Austria
Conservation status of habitats
In Austria, 17.9% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status, which is slightly above the EU average of 14.7%. A significant proportion of assessments, amounting to 43.5%, indicates a bad conservation status, surpassing the EU average of 35.8%.
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Protected habitat composition by group
In Austria, the group with the biggest number of protected habitats is forests (28.1%), followed by grasslands (21.1%) and tocky habitats (14%).
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Conservation status by group
In Austria, the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 75%. Following behind is heath and scrub, with 50% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, dune, coastal habitats and sclerophyllous scrub exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 100%.
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Austria is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: Forest ecosystems, which cover 47.7% of the country, followed by Agroecosystems occupying 37.7% of the land area. However, Austria has relatively smaller proportions of heathlands accounting for 8.2%, urban ecosystems representing to 5.3%.
In terms of the protected area network, forests constitute the largest portion, covering 50.9% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 27.2% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Heathlands contribute to 17.6% of the protected areas, while urban areas account for 2.07%. Rivers and lakes represent 1.7% and wetlands comprise 0.7%.
