Number and Size of Finland´s Protected Areas Managed by Metsähallitus
The table shows the size and number of statutory nature reserves, wilderness areas, national hiking areas, recreational forests and areas reserved for conservation by Government decision. All areas are on state-owned lands and waters and managed by Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland.
December 31, 2025
| Area type | Number of areas | Size of areas (sq. km) |
|---|---|---|
| National parks | 41 | 10,210 |
| Strict nature reserves | 19 | 1,540 |
| Mire reserves | 162 | 4,974 |
| Herb-rich forest reserves | 45 | 11 |
| Old-growth forest reserves | 73 | 78 |
| Seal reserves | 7 | 188 |
| Other state-owned nature reserves | 737 | 4,072 |
| Privately-owned nature reserves | 213 | 105 |
| Protected areas established by Metsähallitus | 6 | 3 |
| STATUTORY NATURE RESERVES (total) | 1,303 | 21,181 |
| Areas reserved for protection in nature conservation programmes | 1,398 | 5,159 |
| Protected forests | 314 | 531 |
| Other protected sites | 2,001 | 3,173 |
| Wilderness areas | 12 | 14,893 |
| National hiking areas | 6 | 269 |
| Other recreational areas | 7 | 914 |
| Other areas | 42 | 94 |
| Other areas together | 3,780 | 25,033 |
| ALL AREAS | 5,083 | 46,214 |
The statutory nature reserves comprise of 18,669 km² land (88,5 %) and 2,426 km² (11,5 %) of waters.
Ca. 15 per cent of Finland´s area is protected by the Nature Conservation Act or the Wilderness Act.