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Environmental information systems
Portugal consists of the peninsular mainland and the volcanic Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores. It has a terrestrial area of close to 92,000km² and a marine area of 4 million km². It is bordered by only 1 country. The highest point is Mount Pico (on the Azores) at 2,351m. Portugal has a population of 10.3 million people and a population density of 113 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, falling 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 0.6%, 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 designations and Natura 2000
In the majority of the terrestrial protected areas are designated as Natura 2000 sites ( ). About half of the marine protected areas network of Portugal consists of areas designated solely as Natura 2000 sites and the other half of nationally designated areas.
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
Both terrestrial and marine protected areas in are quite diverse in their size. About 18% of marine protected areas are larger than 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 24% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 52% 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 41.6%. They are followed by vascular plants, accounting for 31.3% of protected species, and mammals, representing 10.9%.
Conservation Status by Taxa
In , the assessment of species groups reveals that vascular plants have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 40%. On the other hand, molluscs exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 28.5%, followed by fish with 22.8%. Fish also have a significant proportion of species in poor conservation status, standing at 71.4%. All other invertebrates and arthropods have unknown conservation status.
Habitats protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. hosts habitat types, which is approximately 42.5% 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 , 23.7% 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 28.8%, is below the EU average of 35.8%.
Protected habitat composition by group
In , the group of protected habitats with the largest number consists of forest, coastal and salt-tolerant habitats, each accounting for 18.1% of the total. Following behind are freshwater habitats, encompassing 13.1% 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 53.3%. Following behind are heath and scrub, with 40% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, dune habitats exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 60%, while bogs, mires and fens also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 50%.
Portugal is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: forest ecosystems, which cover 46% of the country, followed by agroecosystems occupying 37.7% of the land area. However, Portugal has relatively smaller proportions of heathlands (9.5%), urban ecosystems (5.8%), rivers and lakes (1%), and wetland ecosystems (0.08%).
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 44.2% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 36.5% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Heathland ecosystems account for 16% of the protected areas, while urban areas contribute to 2.04%. Rivers and lakes represent 1%, and wetlands comprise 0.3% of the protected areas.