All official European Union website addresses are in the europa.eu domain.
See all EU institutions and bodies
An official website of the European Union | How do you know?
Environmental information systems
Belgium has an area of just over 30,000km² and a marine area of nearly 3,500km². With a coastline on the North Sea, it is bordered by 4 other countries. Belgium consists of a coastal plain, a central plateau and the Ardennes upland area in the south east of the country. The highest point is Signal de Botrange at 694m. Belgium has a population of 11.61 milion people and a population density of 380.5 people per km².
of land
is covered
by protected areas
of marine waters
is covered
by protected areas
species
are protected
under EU law
habitats
are protected
under EU law
Sources: Terrestrial protected area coverage by country and in the EU-27 by the end of 2023, Marine protected areas in Europe's seas (2023), Conservation status of habitat types and species: datasets from Article 17, Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC reporting (2013-2018).
In 2023, of 's land area was designated as protected areas, falling below the EU value of 26.4%. With a coverage of in its marine waters, surpasses the EU value of 13.7%.
The data sources and related statistics refer to 2023, therefore aligned with the EEA indicators: Designated terrestrial protected areas in Europe, Natura 2000 sites designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, Marine protected areas in Europe's seas.
Percentage of area covered by protected areas
Evolution of area covered by protected areas
From 2012 to 2023 the share of terrestrial protected areas in increased by 1.2%, slightly below the EU value increase of 1.8%.
National marine protected areas coverage trends are not available because methodological changes prevent a consistent comparison across years.
The EU Biodiversity Strategy has set a target of reaching 30% protected area coverage at the EU level by 2030.
If you want to know more about the Biodiversity Strategy, you can explore the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) and in particular the Dashboard section showing progress of the EU and its Member States towards the Biodiversity Strategy targets set for 2030.
Distribution of protected areas between national designation and Natura 2000
In the majority of protected areas in the terrestrial environment, accounting for are designated as Natura 2000 sites, indicating their importance in conserving biodiversity and natural habitats. Other protected areas are designated by national laws, representing . In the marine waters of , the majority of protected areas, accounting for , are designated as Natura 2000 sites. This highlights the vital role of Natura 2000 in protecting the marine biodiversity and habitats in Belgian waters.
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 terrestrial environment, aligns with the trend observed in many other EU countries, where the majority of protected areas are smaller than 1km². However, the distribution of protected areas in the marine waters of presents a more heterogeneous picture, encompassing a range of sizes.
A focus on Natura 2000 sites in
has a total of Natura 2000 sites, they are designated under the Birds Directive, encompassing Special Protection Areas (SPA), and the Habitats Directive, encompassing Sites of Community Importance (SCI). Many sites are designated under both Directives.
Species protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 6% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 50% of the species protected under the Birds Directive.
The figures are based on data electronically reported by the Member States under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation status of habitat types and species for the 2013–2018 reporting period.
species protected under EU law
species under the Birds Directive
species under the Birds Directive
Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive
In , of species assessments indicate a good conservation status, which is similar to the EU average of 27.5%. However, there is a higher proportion of assessments indicating bad conservation status in Belgium, reaching , compared to the EU average of 20.6%.
Protected species composition by taxonomic group
In , the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 72.8%. They are followed by mammals, accounting for 9.4% of protected species, and arthropods, representing 4.4%.
Conservation Status by Taxa
In , the assessment of species groups reveals that molluscs have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 44.4%. Following closely behind are arthropods, with 31.6% of species in 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 50%.
Habitats protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. hosts habitat types, which is approximately 25.3% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.
The figures are based on data electronically reported by the Member States under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation status of habitat types and species for the 2013–2018 reporting period.
habitats protected under EU law in
Conservation status of habitats
In only 4.3% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is below the EU average of 14.7%. Conversely, a significant proportion of assessments, amounting to 79.6%, indicate a bad conservation status, surpassing the EU average of 35.8%.
Protected habitat composition by group
In the group of protected habitats with the largest number consists of forests, coastal and inland dunes, each accounting for 16.9% of the total. Following closely behind are grasslands, encompassing 15.2% of the protected habitats.
Conservation status by group
In the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 25%. Following behind are coastal habitats, with 14.2% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, heath and scrub exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 100%, while bogs, mires and fens also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 91.6%.
Belgium is predominantly characterised by three main types of ecosystems: Agroecosystems, which cover 54.7% of the country, followed by Forest ecosystems occupying 24% of the land area, and Urban areas accounting for 19.9%. However, Belgium has relatively smaller proportions of rivers and lakes (0.6%), heathlands (0.6%), and wetland ecosystems (0.2%).
The figures are based on the dataset "Ecosystem types of Europe 2012 - Full map (marine and terrestrial habitats) - version 3 revision 1, Feb. 2019".
In terms of the protected area network, forests constitute the largest portion, covering 56% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 32% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Urban areas account for 4.7% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within urban environments. Heathlands contribute to 3.3% of the protected areas, while rivers and lakes represent 2.1%, and wetlands comprise 1.8%.