Recent statistics concerning forest protection confirm that Finland is still on top level in international comparison.2.9 million hectares of Finnish forests are protected, i.e. 13 % of total forest area. More than 90 % of the protected area is subject to strict protection.
Although some instances maintain that the protection of only 2 % of forests in Southern Finland is a low figure, it is nevertheless the third highest in Europe. Only in Sweden and in Northern Finland protection levels exceed that figure.