SDG 15 Life on land

SDG 15 is about the protection, restoration and sustainable management of all forms of life on land. Natural environments and healthy ecosystems are indispensable for well-being and life on earth. Ecosystems and biodiversity are under pressure because of population growth, land use intensification, pollution and climate change.

• Population growth means that ever more space is required.
• Almost 70 percent of natural life on land was adversely impacted by nitrogen pollution in 2023, despite a downward trend.
• Biodiversity on land is deteriorating but the proportion of species under threat is falling.

Dashboard and indicators

Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being

Healthy ecosystems underpin processes that have a major impact on well-being, such as the availability of clean water and air, the presence of insects for pollination and opportunities for relaxation, recreation and education. Moreover, natural resources have value that contributes to the well-being of both current and future generations. This is important: if ecosystems are compromised, the damage may prove irreparable.

Resources and opportunities relate to how much natural space there is, and to the resources available for its conservation, restoration and protection. Government expenditure on environmental protection is increasing. In 2024, it stood at 1.6 percent of GDP. Compared to other EU countries, the Dutch government spends a lot on environmental protection. Total environmental expenditure (spending and investment by public authorities and businesses) is also increasing, amounting to 2.4 percent of GDP in 2024.

The Dutch population continues to grow, leading to a steady decline in the area available per person. In 2025, this fell to 2,302 m2 per inhabitant, which includes both land and water. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Within the EU, only the inhabitants of Malta had less land and water available per capita in 2023. In addition, the amount of green-blue space per capita (excluding regular agriculture) is decreasing, primarily due to an increase in the number of inhabitants. In 2024, only 953.7 m2 was available per head of population. In 2023, 20.1 percent of the total land area of the Netherlands consisted of natural ecosystems. This proportion is increasing.

Use concerns the protection and use of natural spaces and their ecosystems, as well as the burden that human activities place on the natural environment. The Netherlands Nature Network (NNN) includes both existing and planned land nature reserves in the Netherlands. The size of the NNN is increasing. On 31 December 2024, NNN areas accounted for 21.2 percent of the country’s total land area, or nearly 715 thousand hectares.

The build-up of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution, mainly caused by agriculture, has a detrimental impact on the quality of surface water and the quality of ecosystems such as heathland, forests and dunes. Excess phosphorus has fallen sharply this century. However, in recent years, it has stabilised at around 4 kilograms per hectare of arable land. Excess nitrogen has fluctuated in recent years. This is linked to changing weather conditions that have an impact on harvests. In 2023, nitrogen pollution reached its lowest value since measurements began in 2000. An increase in 2024 returned it to a level comparable with 2022. Data on phosphorus and nitrogen pollution is available for two-thirds of the EU countries. Compared with those other EU countries, the Netherlands had the worst nitrogen pollution by some margin in 2023. As such, the Netherlands ranks last on this indicator. The surplus in the Netherlands was more than double that of the country with the second largest surplus (Italy).

Outcomes relate to the quality of ecosystems and biodiversity. The presence of excess nitrogen in the soil can lead to a loss of diversity in flora and fauna. In this context, nitrogen refers to chemical compounds of nitrogen that can be harmful to both human health and the environment. Nitrogen oxides are mainly released into the air in exhaust gases from traffic and industrial emissions. Ammonia is primarily produced by livestock. The risk of vulnerable flora disappearing increases when the amount of nitrogen deposited exceeds the critical load value. Low-nutrient habitats are especially sensitive to environmental pressure from nitrogen deposition.

Despite a downward trend in the proportion of natural land where the nitrogen limit is exceeded, nearly 70 percent of natural land was still affected by excess nitrogen in 2023. The quantity of natural land affected by excess nitrogen has been gradually falling since measurements began, from 74.6 percent in 1995 to 69.9 percent in 2023. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) calculates the total area of natural land where nitrogen deposition exceeds critical load values.

Biodiversity is under pressure. Farmland bird populations are declining. In the Netherlands, 27 species of meadow, field and farmyard birds are monitored. The downward trend on this indicator points to a significant deterioration in living conditions for these species. While goose populations are flourishing, these birds are not viewed as typical farmland birds, since they are also found in many other habitats. The populations or distribution (depending on the species) of Dutch land fauna are also falling. The proportion of species not under threat is increasing very gradually (Red List Indicator). In 2025, the score was 0.77 on a scale of 0 to 1, where 0 means that all species have disappeared and 1 means that no species is under threat.

Subjective assessment refers to people’s perception of the quality of natural areas and their concerns about pollution and the disappearance of species. In 2025, 15.9 percent of the population aged 16 and over were negatively affected by waste, pollution or other environmental problems. This represents a fall since 2024, when the corresponding figure was 17.4 percent. In 2024, the highest percentage of the population experienced problems since measurements began in 2005. Despite this reduction, the percentage is higher than in 2023 and the share has only been higher in 2018 and 2024.