Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Ireland
Ireland: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 83.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Ireland, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Ireland is 83.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Ireland peaked at 83.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 46.3%, in 2000.
Ireland ranks 27th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 46.3% | — |
| 2001 | 46.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 46.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 46.3% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 49.4% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 51.9% | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 59.0% | +13.6% |
| 2007 | 63.6% | +7.8% |
| 2008 | 64.6% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 70.2% | +8.8% |
| 2010 | 72.6% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 73.6% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 73.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 74.0% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 75.2% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 80.7% | +7.3% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 82.2% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 82.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 83.3% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 83.3% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 83.3% | +0.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 83.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 52.5%, 1.6× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 83.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 66.6%, 1.3× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.4% | 46.3% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.4% | 72.6% | 80.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.5% | 80.8% | 83.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 24 Slovakia 85.7% compare
- 25 Zimbabwe 85.1% compare
- 26 Hungary 84.1% compare
- 28 French Guiana 83.2% compare
- 29 Luxembourg 82.3% compare
- 30 Guadeloupe 82.1% compare
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % 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 -0.0083 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Ireland?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Ireland was 83.3% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 83.3% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.3% in 2000.
- How does Ireland rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Ireland ranks 27th out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average proportion of Terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).