Ecosystem extent account; types of ecosystems, region
| Regions | Periods | Total area (km2) | Settlements and other artificial areas Total settlements and other artificial a (km2) | Settlements and other artificial areas Settlement areas (km2) | Settlements and other artificial areas Infrastructure (km2) | Urban greenspace and recreation sites Total urban greenspace and recreation si (km2) | Urban greenspace and recreation sites Urban greenspace (km2) | Urban greenspace and recreation sites Sports and recreation sites (km2) | Cropland Total cropland (km2) | Cropland Annual cropland (km2) | Cropland Temporary grassland (km2) | Cropland Permanent cropland (km2) | Cropland (Semi-)natural cropland (km2) | Grassland Total grassland (km2) | Grassland Sown pastures and modified grassland (km2) | Grassland Natural and semi-natural grassland (km2) | Forest and woodland Total forest and woodland (km2) | Forest and woodland Natural forest and tree lines (km2) | Forest and woodland Production forest (km2) | Forest and woodland Other forest (km2) | Heathland and drift sand areas Total heathland and drift sand areas (km2) | Heathland and drift sand areas Heathland (km2) | Heathland and drift sand areas Driftsand (km2) | Inland wetlands Total inland wetlands (km2) | Inland wetlands Bogs (km2) | Inland wetlands Eutrophe and mesotrophe fens (km2) | Rivers and canals Total rivers and canals (km2) | Lakes and reservoirs Total lakes and reservoirs (km2) | Coastal beaches, dunes, wetlands Total coastal beaches, dunes, wetlands (km2) | Coastal beaches, dunes, wetlands Coastal salt marshes (km2) | Coastal beaches, dunes, wetlands Coastal dunes and beaches (km2) | Marine and transitional waters Total marine and transitional waters (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Netherlands | 2022* | 41,543 | 7,011 | 5,170 | 1,841 | 1,408 | 810 | 597 | 10,689 | 7,923 | 2,196 | 495 | 76 | 9,690 | 8,093 | 1,597 | 3,487 | 1,698 | 1,561 | 227 | 404 | 51 | 354 | 482 | 215 | 268 | 995 | 2,767 | 490 | 131 | 359 | 4,120 |
| Groningen (PV) | 2022* | 2,955 | 355 | 251 | 104 | 63 | 41 | 21 | 1,128 | 988 | 128 | 5 | 5 | 653 | 560 | 93 | 66 | 31 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 25 | 38 | 46 | 34 | 28 | 6 | 546 |
| Fryslân (PV) | 2022* | 5,753 | 428 | 290 | 138 | 77 | 40 | 36 | 631 | 416 | 211 | 2 | 1 | 1,803 | 1,674 | 129 | 133 | 81 | 37 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 77 | 17 | 60 | 68 | 602 | 178 | 64 | 114 | 1,749 |
| Drenthe (PV) | 2022* | 2,680 | 361 | 246 | 115 | 81 | 37 | 44 | 1,063 | 832 | 213 | 10 | 8 | 646 | 474 | 172 | 346 | 174 | 163 | 10 | 44 | 1 | 43 | 101 | 84 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Overijssel (PV) | 2022* | 3,421 | 592 | 429 | 163 | 104 | 56 | 48 | 795 | 521 | 254 | 14 | 7 | 1,347 | 1,207 | 140 | 369 | 146 | 202 | 21 | 32 | 1 | 31 | 76 | 28 | 48 | 47 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Flevoland (PV) | 2022* | 2,412 | 210 | 130 | 80 | 53 | 36 | 18 | 853 | 728 | 104 | 17 | 4 | 130 | 45 | 85 | 150 | 68 | 75 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 25 | 973 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gelderland (PV) | 2022* | 5,136 | 988 | 728 | 260 | 195 | 104 | 90 | 1,030 | 637 | 276 | 105 | 12 | 1,586 | 1,389 | 197 | 940 | 451 | 468 | 21 | 193 | 24 | 168 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 99 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Utrecht (PV) | 2022* | 1,560 | 373 | 285 | 89 | 84 | 52 | 32 | 157 | 75 | 47 | 30 | 5 | 652 | 578 | 74 | 181 | 90 | 84 | 7 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 49 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noord-Holland (PV) | 2022* | 4,092 | 755 | 570 | 185 | 174 | 104 | 70 | 782 | 541 | 216 | 23 | 3 | 644 | 551 | 93 | 135 | 107 | 10 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 128 | 627 | 141 | 5 | 136 | 678 |
| Zuid-Holland (PV) | 2022* | 3,308 | 931 | 747 | 184 | 205 | 139 | 66 | 548 | 458 | 63 | 24 | 3 | 792 | 667 | 124 | 99 | 66 | 3 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 39 | 334 | 125 | 73 | 3 | 70 | 161 |
| Zeeland (PV) | 2022* | 2,933 | 289 | 183 | 106 | 59 | 21 | 38 | 1,097 | 899 | 140 | 54 | 3 | 239 | 121 | 118 | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 110 | 61 | 31 | 30 | 987 |
| Noord-Brabant (PV) | 2022* | 5,082 | 1,181 | 892 | 289 | 217 | 127 | 90 | 1,831 | 1,249 | 433 | 133 | 15 | 840 | 590 | 250 | 693 | 264 | 392 | 37 | 71 | 10 | 61 | 72 | 52 | 20 | 115 | 61 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Limburg (PV) | 2022* | 2,210 | 548 | 419 | 129 | 96 | 52 | 44 | 774 | 578 | 110 | 77 | 9 | 358 | 238 | 120 | 328 | 195 | 102 | 31 | 25 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 30 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noord-Nederland (LD) | 2022* | 11,389 | 1,143 | 787 | 356 | 220 | 118 | 102 | 2,821 | 2,237 | 552 | 17 | 15 | 3,102 | 2,708 | 395 | 545 | 285 | 215 | 45 | 52 | 5 | 47 | 205 | 103 | 102 | 127 | 665 | 212 | 92 | 121 | 2,295 |
| Oost-Nederland (LD) | 2022* | 10,970 | 1,791 | 1,287 | 503 | 352 | 196 | 156 | 2,679 | 1,885 | 634 | 136 | 23 | 3,063 | 2,641 | 423 | 1,459 | 665 | 744 | 50 | 229 | 30 | 199 | 110 | 38 | 72 | 170 | 1,116 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West-Nederland | 2022* | 11,893 | 2,348 | 1,784 | 564 | 523 | 317 | 206 | 2,584 | 1,974 | 466 | 130 | 14 | 2,327 | 1,918 | 410 | 461 | 289 | 108 | 65 | 28 | 4 | 23 | 74 | 2 | 72 | 552 | 896 | 275 | 39 | 236 | 1,825 |
| Zuid-Nederland | 2022* | 7,292 | 1,729 | 1,311 | 418 | 313 | 179 | 134 | 2,605 | 1,827 | 544 | 211 | 24 | 1,198 | 828 | 370 | 1,021 | 459 | 494 | 68 | 95 | 12 | 83 | 94 | 72 | 22 | 146 | 90 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Source: CBS. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dataset is not available.
The numbers in this table represent the surface area of various ecosystems in the Netherlands, such as forests, agricultural lands, lakes, and parks. Each ecosystem is distinguished by specific biotic and abiotic elements, and their interactions. The table presents the ecosystem extent, with data organized based on the surface area in square kilometers per ecosystem type and per province.
Data available from: 2013
Status of the figures:
The figures are provisional.
Changes as of May 2024:
Figures for 2022 added.
When will new figures be available?
New figures are published annually in March.
Description topics
- Total area
- Total area
- Settlements and other artificial areas
- This class represents ecosystems charactarized by buildings and other man-made structures, including residential, industrial, commercial, and transport areas. It excludes green ecosystems in the urban environmen, which area classified under 'Urban green and recreation'.
- Total settlements and other artificial a
- Total area of the main group 'Settlements and other artificial areas'.
- Settlement areas
- Includes residential, commercial and industrial areas and adjacent (small) roads, properties and front- and backyards.
- Infrastructure
- Includes land used for transport infrastructure, such as major roads, railways, airports and ports, including associated green areas (such as road verges). Includes extraction sites and dump areas.
- Urban greenspace and recreation sites
- This class represents urban greenspace such as public parks and other vegetated areas, as well as areas used for recreation and leisure activities such as sports and camping grounds.
- Total urban greenspace and recreation si
- Total area of the main group 'Urban greenspace and recreation sites'.
- Urban greenspace
- Includes areas with vegetation within or partly embraced within urban areas. This includes public parks and other public or private green space, including associated infrastructure such as bicycle and walking trails.
- Sports and recreation sites
- Includes areas used for recreation purposes. Includes among others cemeteries, zoos, theme parks, historical and botanical gardens, community gardens, sports grounds, camping grounds and leisure parks..
- Cropland
- This class represents areable land including intensively and extensively managed cropland, and temporary grasslands used for crop rotation.
- Total cropland
- Total area of the main group 'Cropland'.
- Annual cropland
- Includes cropland planted for annually or regularly harvested crops. They include arable land for potatoes, vegetables, cereals, industrial crops, pulses, floriculture and horticulture. Fallow land is also included in this category.
- Temporary grassland
- Includes temporary grasses (less than 5 years old) sown as intercrop, for silage and grazing. Due to its role in the annual crop rototation, this ecosystem is classified under cropland instead of grassland.
- Permanent cropland
- Includes areas with perennial crops. Mainly plantations of woody crops, vineyards, fruit and berry plantations, christmas tree plantations and nurseries.
- (Semi-)natural cropland
- Includes cropland with natural and semi-natural elements, such as strip cultivation and arable field margins.
- Grassland
- This class represents permanent grassland, including managed pastures used for agriculture and (semi-)natural grasslands. Temporary grasslands are excluded, which are classified under 'Cropland'.
- Total grassland
- Total area of the main group 'Grassland'.
- Sown pastures and modified grassland
- Includes pastures and other grassland primarily managed for agriculture use (grazed or mowed). Excludes temporary grasses.
- Natural and semi-natural grassland
- Omvat graslanden met een natuurlijke (hoofd)functie.
- Forest and woodland
- This class represents tree-dominated ecosystems, consisting of natural forests and cultivated forests for timber production.
- Total forest and woodland
- Total area of the main group 'Forest and woodland'.
- Natural forest and tree lines
- Includes various types of natural forests. Linear forest elements such as tree lines are included here.
- Production forest
- Includes forests that are mainly cultivated for timber production.
- Other forest
- Includes forest not under a distinct type of land management.
- Heathland and drift sand areas
- This class represents all heathland, inland dunes and drift sand ecosystems outside of coastal dunes.
- Total heathland and drift sand areas
- Total area of the main group 'Heathland and drift sand areas'.
- Heathland
- Includes heathlands, characterised by low and closed vegetation cover, dominated by ericaceous shrubs.
- Driftsand
- Includes inland land dunes
- Inland wetlands
- This class represents all freshwater wetlands, including marshes; bogs; fens etc. It excludes open water.
- Total inland wetlands
- Total area of the main group 'Inland wetlands'.
- Bogs
- Includes (remnants of) raised bogs and and other (potentially) oligotrophic wetlands.
- Eutrophe and mesotrophe fens
- Includes base-rich fens and other mesotrophic and eutrophic wetlands.
- Rivers and canals
- This class represents rivers, streams, canals and other permanent linear inland surface water features.
- Total rivers and canals
- Total area of the main group 'Rivers and canals'.
- Lakes and reservoirs
- The main group includes all wide bodies of water that are not linear and where the flow is minimal or virtually absent.
- Total lakes and reservoirs
- Total area of the main group 'Lakes and reservoirs'.
- Coastal beaches, dunes, wetlands
- This class presents to all land-based ecosystems next close to the sea, with strong marine influences. This includes beaches, dunes and coastal salt marshes.
- Total coastal beaches, dunes, wetlands
- Total area of the main group 'Coastal beaches, dunes, wetlands'.
- Coastal salt marshes
- Includes salt marshes and associated coastal wetlands, that are susceptible to periodic flooding by seawater.
- Coastal dunes and beaches
- Includes natural non-vegetated expanses of sand in coastal locations, such as beaches, dunes, shoals and shores.
- Marine and transitional waters
- The main group encompasses all marine areas and transitional waters affected by tides. This specifically concerns the marine waters classified at the provincial level, including the North Sea, estuaries (including the Wadden Sea), and tidal areas.
- Total marine and transitional waters
- Total area of the main group 'Marine and transitional waters'.