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Environmental information systems
Finland is a country characterised by vast forests, with over 187,000 lakes and ponds, as well as a similar count of islands and islets. It has a terrestrial area exceeding 33,000km² and a marine area spanning over 81,000km². Finland shares its borders with 3 neighbouring countries. The highest point in Finland is Halti, reaching a height of 1,324m. With a population of 5.5 million people, Finland has a relatively low population density of 16.4 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 was designated as protected areas, below the EU value of 26.4%. With a coverage of in its marine waters, is below 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 0.4%, 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 designations and Natura 2000
In , the majority of the protected areas in the terrestrial environment are Natura 2000 sites. Likewise, in the marine waters of , the majority of protected areas, accounting for , are designated as Natura 2000 sites.
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 majority (89%) of terrestrial protected areas in Finland are smaller than 1km2 in size, which is significantly higher than the average proportion of small protected areas across the EU.
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 9% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 54% 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 Habitats Directive
species under the Birds Directive
Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive
In , 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%.
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 65.7%. They are followed by arthropods, accounting for 9.7% of protected species, and vascular plants, representing 8.4%.
Conservation Status by Taxa
In , the assessment of species groups reveals that fish have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 81.2%. Following closely behind are amphibians (75%) and mammals (58%). On the other hand, molluscs exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 25%, while the assessments for reptiles report 100% of species in poor conservation status. All other invertebrates have unknown conservation status.
Habitats protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. hosts habitat types, which is approximately 29.2% 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 , 31.9% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is above the EU average of 14.7%. On the other hand, the proportion of assessments indicating a bad conservation status, amounting to 31.9%, slightly below the EU average of 35.8%.
Protected habitat composition by group
In the group of protected habitats with the largest number consists of coastal and salt-tolerant habitats, accounting for 19.1% of the total. Following closely behind are forests, encompassing 17.65% of the protected habitats. Grasslands, as well as bogs, mires and fens count the 14.7%.
Conservation status by group
In the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 85.7%. Following behind are bogs, mires and fens, with 43.7% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, grasslands exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 66.6%, while dune habitats have a proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 38.4%.
Finland is predominantly characterised by forests ecosystems, which cover 73.6% of the country. Rivers and Lakes occupy 9.9% of the land area, while agroecosystems account for 8.05% and wetlands cover 5.01%. Finland however, has also relatively smaller proportions of heathlands (1.9%), and urban areas (1.5%).
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 53.5% of the protected areas. Wetlands make up 15.7% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Rivers and Lakes account for 14.4% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within aquatic environments. Heathlands contribute to 14.3% of the protected areas, while agroecosystems represent 2.1%, and urban areas comprise 0.03%.