Share of forest area within protected areas in Norway
Norway: Share of forest area within protected areas was 5.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of forest area within protected areas in Norway, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of forest area within protected areas in Norway is 5.8%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 38.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of forest area within protected areas in Norway peaked at 5.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1990.
Norway ranks 159th of 197 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Share of forest area within protected areas in Norway, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.8% | — |
| 2000 | 2.2% | +25.6% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | +56.1% |
| 2015 | 4.2% | +22.0% |
| 2016 | 4.4% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 4.7% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 5.8% | +16.0% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 5.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 16.0%, 36% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Norway's 5.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 22.7%, 26% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 3.5% | 4.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 5.0% | 5.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More environment data for Norway
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.9857 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.8118 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.738 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.52 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.28 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of forest area within protected areas in Norway?
- Share of forest area within protected areas in Norway was 5.8% in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of forest area within protected areas recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 5.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of forest area within protected areas recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1990.
- How does Norway rank for share of forest area within protected areas?
- Norway ranks 159th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of forest area within protected areas rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of forest area within protected areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas (%).