Terrestrial protected areas in Ireland
Protected areas covered 14.2% of the land area of Ireland in 2025. The value for 2025 is the lowest in the series, which starts in 2013.
Ireland, 2025
14.2%
Change from 2024
−0.2percentage points
European Union, 2025
26.6%
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2025
24.6%
Position in 2025
130th of 213
Terrestrial protected areas in Ireland over time
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Ireland
European Union
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of land area. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | Ireland | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14.2% | 26.6% |
| 2024 | 14.4% | 26.6% |
| 2023 | 14.4% | 26.3% |
| 2022 | 14.4% | 26.3% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | 26.1% |
| 2020 | 14.4% | 26.0% |
| 2019 | 14.4% | 26.0% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | 25.8% |
| 2017 | 14.4% | 25.9% |
| 2016 | 14.4% | 25.7% |
| 2015 | 14.4% | 25.2% |
| 2014 | 14.4% | 25.1% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | 25.2% |
A dash means no value was published for that period.
In short
- That is a change of −0.2 percentage points from 14.4% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 14.4%, the figure has changed by −0.2 percentage points.
- Among the 213 countries with data for 2025, Ireland has the 130th highest value.
- The figure for the European Union in 2025 was 26.6%.