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Environmental information systems
Denmark is a low-lying country that comprises the Jutland peninsula and over 400 islands. It has a terrestrial area of over 43,000km² and a marine area of over 120,000km². The highest point in Denmark is Møllehøj, standing at 171m. The country shares its borders with Germany. With a population of 5.9 million people, Denmark has a population density of 138 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 terrestrial area of is designated as protected areas, falling below the EU value of 26.4%. With a coverage of in its marine waters, surpasses the EU value of 12.1%.
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 0.2%, 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 protected areas in the terrestrial environment, accounting for are designated as Natura 2000 sites, indicating their importance in conserving biodiversity and natural habitats. Other protected areas are designated by national laws, representing . In the marine waters of , the majority of protected areas, accounting for , are designated as Natura 2000 sites. This highlights the vital role of Natura 2000 in protecting the marine biodiversity and habitats in Belgian waters.
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 (75%) of protected areas in Denmark are less than 1km2 in size, which is higher than the average proportion of small protected areas across the EU. Only about 1% of terrestrial protected areas in Denmark are 100-1,000 km2 and about 2% 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 6% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 49% 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 74.1%. They are followed by mammals, accounting for 8.5% of protected species, and amphibians, representing 3.6%.
Conservation Status by Taxa
In , the assessment of species groups reveals that mammals have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 47.7%. On the other hand, reptiles exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 100%. Vascular plants also have a significant proportion of species in bad conservation status, standing at 81.8%, as well as non-vascular plants, standing at 66.6%. All other invertebrates have unknown conservation status.
Habitats protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. hosts habitat types, which is approximately 25.8% 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 only 5.4% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is below the EU average of 14.7%. Conversely, a significant proportion of assessments, amounting to 76.6%, indicate a bad conservation status, surpassing 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 (23.3%) and coastal and inland dunes (20%). Following closely behind are forests, encompassing 15% 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 100%. On the other hand, forests, sclerophyllous scrub, and heath and scrub exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status reaching 100%, while grasslands and bogs, mires and fens also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status, which stands at 88.8% and 84.6%, respectively. .
Denmark is predominantly characterised by agroecosystems covering 76.1% of the country. Forest ecosystems occupy 12.8% of the land area, while Urban areas account for 8.5%. However, Denmark has also relatively smaller proportions of rivers and lakes (1.08%), heathlands (0.9%), and wetland ecosystems (0.6%).
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, agroecosystems constitute the largest portion, covering 54.4% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Forests make up 23.6% of the protected areas and rivers and lakes contribute to 9.3%. heathlands represent 8.3%, while wetlands comprise 3.2% and urban areas account for 1.1%.