Statistics Sweden produces yearly statistics on protected nature in collaboration with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. A protected area refers to a geographically defined area that is permanently designated, regulated and administered to achieve specific aims and conservation goals. In Sweden, “protected area” is a collective term for protection under Chapter 7 of the Environmental Code and according to many of the nature conservation agreements under the Land Code.

Sweden’s national and official statistics on protected nature contain information on a selection of protected areas under Chapter 7 of the Environmental Code. Information is also presented on protected rivers, protected species, nature conservation agreements under the Land Code, Intra-governmental agreements, and forest land covered by land replacement. The data refers to areas that applied (that is, for which judgment was final) on 31 December 2020. Most of the data has been retrieved from the Swedish register on areas protected under the Environmental Code and the database on Sweden’s Natura 2000 areas.
Explanations concerning the table Formally protected nature 2020-12-31:

• The proportion of protected area has been calculated using Sweden’s total area, as reported in Statistics Sweden’s official statistics on land and water areas (see www.scb.se/mi0802, reference time 2021-01-01).
• Changes in area compared with the previous year are to a small degree due to a change in method in Statistics Sweden’s calculation.
• Nature reserves, Natura 2000, and nature conservation agreements include areas without restrictions, for example without regulations against forestry. The data refers to areas that applied (that is, for which judgment was final) on 31 December 2020.
• Proportions and areas cannot be added up because some protection types overlap each other. Statistics adjusted for overlapping areas are marked with the text “without overlap”.
• Natura 2000 within Sweden’s exclusive economic zone is included in the presentation of total area and marine areas in hectares. Areas within the exclusive economic zone are not included in the presentation of proportions, since that presentation only covers areas within Sweden’s territory. Natura 2000 within the exclusive economic zone covers about 1.3 million hectares.
• Nature conservation agreements include the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s and the Swedish Forest Agency’s nature conservation agreements, the White-Backed Woodpecker Action Plan, and “ekoparker” (nature reserves). Several agreements do not have end date information available. Among the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s agreements, 143 agreements, comprising 2 355 hectares, have a remaining duration of less than 15 years.
• Information on the number of areas related to intra-governmental agreements with the Swedish Fortifications Agency was retrieved from “Överenskommelse om skydd av särskilt värdefulla naturskogsområden, 5. Naturskogar Nv Reg. no. 310-167-10 No.