Ecosystem extent; ecosystem types; region
| Region | 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 Permanent cropland (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Netherlands | 2023* | 41,543 | 6,839 | 5,227 | 1,613 | 881 | 288 | 593 | 10,653 | 9,907 | 352 |
| Source: CBS. | |||||||||||
Table explanation
The figures 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: 2016
Status of the figures:
The figures are provisional.
To ensure consistent time series, the complete time series is recalculated each year if necessary, so that the latest insights and sources are also incorporated.
Changes as of November 2025:
None, this is a new table. The previous table on this topic was discontinued due to a revision of the methodology. Both the methodology, sources, and the classification of ecosystem types have been adjusted. For more information, please refer to the revised news release in Chapter 3 and the technical explanation in Chapter 4.
When will new figures be available?
New figures are published annually in November 2026.
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.
- Permanent cropland
- Includes areas with perennial crops. Mainly plantations of woody crops, vineyards, fruit and berry plantations, christmas tree plantations and nurseries.