Protected land area in Ireland
Protected land area in Ireland was 13.9% in 2023, according to Eurostat, European Commission. That is down 0.1 pts from 2022. That is the 26th highest of 27 EU countries in 2023.
Protected land area in Ireland, 2011 to 2023
All 13 values
| Period | % |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 13.9 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2019 | 14 |
| 2018 | 13.8 |
| 2017 | 13.8 |
| 2016 | 13.8 |
| 2015 | 13.8 |
| 2014 | 13.8 |
| 2013 | 13.8 |
| 2012 | 13.8 |
| 2011 | 13.8 |
Compared with European Union (27)
| Place | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 13.9 |
| European Union (27) | 26.4 |
Rankings
Definition
Land in Natura 2000 sites or in areas protected under national law, as a percentage of the country's land area at the end of the year. Areas covered by both designations are counted once.
Calculated by the European Environment Agency from the sites Member States report. France covers metropolitan France only and Cyprus the government-controlled area. Large one-year rises usually follow a new batch of designations, such as Croatia's Natura 2000 network on joining the EU in 2013. The EU biodiversity strategy aims for 30% by 2030.
How to cite
European Environment Agency (EEA), surface of terrestrial protected areas from the Natura 2000 and nationally designated areas datasets, as published by Eurostat. Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.Citation styles
APA 7
Eurostat, European Commission. (2025). Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA) (Protected land area, Ireland, 2011 to 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table
MLA 9
Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA), Protected land area, Ireland, 2011 to 2023. Eurostat, European Commission, 19 Nov. 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/protected-land-area/ireland. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
Eurostat, European Commission. 2025. Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA). Protected land area, Ireland, 2011 to 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/protected-land-area/ireland.
Harvard
Eurostat, European Commission (2025) Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA), Protected land area, Ireland, 2011 to 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/protected-land-area/ireland (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_protected_land_area_ireland_2023,
author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
title = {{Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env\_bio4, source: EEA): Protected land area, Ireland, 2011 to 2023}},
year = {2025},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/protected-land-area/ireland. Publisher attribution: European Environment Agency (EEA), surface of terrestrial protected areas from the Natura 2000 and nationally designated areas datasets, as published by Eurostat. Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env\_bio4, source: EEA). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env\_bio4/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.},
}
RIS
TY - DATA
AU - Eurostat, European Commission
TI - Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA): Protected land area, Ireland, 2011 to 2023
PY - 2025
DA - 2025/11/19
PB - Eurostat, European Commission
DB - Invokely
UR - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table
L2 - https://invokely.ai/en/protected-land-area/ireland
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/protected-land-area/ireland.
N1 - Publisher attribution: European Environment Agency (EEA), surface of terrestrial protected areas from the Natura 2000 and nationally designated areas datasets, as published by Eurostat. Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
ER -
Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
What is the latest protected land area in Ireland? Cite the source.
get_value {"indicator":"terrestrial_protected_area_share","place":"ie"}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/value?indicator=terrestrial_protected_area_share&place=ieQuestions
What is the protected land area in Ireland?
Protected land area in Ireland was 13.9% in 2023, according to Eurostat, European Commission. That is down 0.1 pts from 2022. That is the 26th highest of 27 EU countries in 2023.
Where does this figure come from?
Eurostat, European Commission. Protected areas, terrestrial protected area, percentage of land area (env_bio4, source: EEA). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.
What was the highest protected land area in Ireland?
14% in 2019, the highest value since 2011 in this series.