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Environmental information systems
Poland is a large country with an terrestrial area of close to 312,000km² and a marine area exceeding 33,000km². In the north part of the country alongside the Baltic coast there are several lagoons and the Masurian lake district. The southern borders are dominated by the Sudete and Tatra mountains. It is bordered by 7 other countries. The highest point is Rysy at 2,499m. Poland has a population of 37.6 million people and a population density of 122.9 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, above 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 0.1%, 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 , about half of the terrestrial protected areas are designated as Natura 2000 sites. The marine protected areas network of Poland consists of 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
Terrestrial protected areas in are quite diverse in their size, however, the majority are smaller than 1km2. The marine protected areas network of Poland is characterized by the prevalence of larger protected areas with the majority being 100-1,000km2.
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 13% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 57% 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 59.8%. They are followed by mammals, accounting for 9.8% of protected species, and arthropods, representing 9.5%.
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 60%. Following closely behind are non-vascular plants, with 58.3%, and mammals, with 50.7% of species in good conservation status. On the other hand, fish exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 24.1%, while vascular plants also have a significant proportion of species in bad conservation status at 19.5%.
Habitats protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. hosts habitat types, which is approximately 34.8% 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 , 20% 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 34.8%, is 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 forests, encompassing 20.9% of the total. Following behind are grasslands, with 16%, 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 50%. Following behind are forests, with 24% of habitat types in good conservation status and heath and scrub with 22.2%. On the other hand, heath and scrub exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 55.5%, while sclerophyllous scrub also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 50%.
Poland is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: agroecosystems, which cover 57% of the country, followed by forest ecosystems occupying 34.6% of the land area. While urban areas account for 6.1%, Poland has also relatively smaller proportions of rivers and lakes (1.5%), heathlands (0.5%), and wetland ecosystems (0.4%).
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 52% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 40.8% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Urban areas account for 3.1% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within urban environments. Rivers and lakes contribute to 3% of the protected areas, while wetlands represent 0.8%, and heathlands comprise 0.4%.