Parks in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts

The United Kingdom is home to a diverse selection of parks. Alongside the rugged and rustic beauty of national parks and the towering metal structures of theme and amusement parks, the UK has a multitude of urban green spaces. Some of the more renowned urban green spaces are The Royal Parks in London, which include iconic locations such as Richmond Park and Kensington Gardens. The Royal Parks not only act as the lungs of the city of London but also generate significant revenue, with the total income of The Royal Parks exceeding 55 million British pounds in 2021/22. However, green spaces aren’t equally distributed among the UK’s population, with the average amount of green space per person in Great Britain spanning from 41 square meters in Scotland to 29 square meters in England as of 2023.

How many national parks are there in the UK?

Since the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949, 15 national parks have been founded in the UK: 10 in England, three in Wales, and two in Scotland. The largest of Great Britain’s national parks is the Cairngorms in Scotland, which was measured at approximately 4.53 thousand square kilometers as of March 2023. Aside from being tourist destinations, the UK’s national parks are also home to a substantial number of residents, with the largest resident population among English and Welsh national parks being found in the South Downs with over 113 thousand inhabitants. Meanwhile, tasked with managing the UK’s national parks are the National Park Authorities, whose responsibilities include protecting natural landscapes and wildlife, as well as preserving each park’s respective cultural heritage. As non-profit organizations, the National Park Authorities are reliant on government grants, which in 2021/22 totaled over 75 million British pounds for all 15 parks.

Are amusement and theme parks popular in the UK?

Amusement and theme parks have a history in the UK spanning more than a century. Among the oldest amusement parks worldwide, Blackgang Chine, which is located on the Isle of Wight, was ranked as the third-oldest, having been founded in 1843. The public demand for amusement parks has carried on into more recent times, with the number of businesses in the amusement park industry in the UK reaching 497 in 2022. Among these businesses, Legoland Windsor proved to be the UK’s most valuable theme park, with an estimated worth of 671 million U.S. dollars as of April 2023, which was over 60 percent more than any other amusement park listed that year. Legoland Windsor was also the most-visited UK theme park in 2022.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Oldest national park in the UK: Peak District

Country in Great Britain with most green space per person: Scotland

Annual turnover of amusement and theme parks in the UK: 879m GBP

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Total amount of green space in Great Britain as of June 2023, by country (in 1,000 hectares)

Parks & Outdoors

Green space distribution in Great Britain 2023, by country

Share of land designated as open spaces in London, England as of May 2023, by land use

Parks & Outdoors

Distribution of open spaces in London 2023, by land use

Estimated value of selected leading theme parks in the United Kingdom (UK) as of April 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Theme Parks & Water Parks

Value of leading theme parks in the United Kingdom (UK) 2023

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Green spaces

Premium Statistic Green space distribution in Great Britain 2023, by country
Green space distribution in Great Britain 2023, by country
Total amount of green space in Great Britain as of June 2023, by country (in 1,000 hectares)
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Average amount of green space per capita in Great Britain 2023, by country
Average amount of green space per person in Great Britain as of June 2023, by country (in square meters)
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Number of residents without ten-minute walking access to a green space in Great Britain as of June 2023, by country (in millions)
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Largest country parks in England as of November 2022 (in hectares)
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Distribution of green space in Northern Ireland as of June 2023, by type (in hectares)

National parks

Premium Statistic Leading national parks in Great Britain 2023, by size
Leading national parks in Great Britain 2023, by size
Largest national parks in Great Britain as of March 2023 (in square kilometers)
Premium Statistic Longest running national parks in Great Britain 2020
Longest running national parks in Great Britain 2020
Oldest national parks in Great Britain as of October 2020
Premium Statistic Gross expenditure of National Park Authorities in Great Britain 2022, by park
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Gross expenditure of National Park Authorities in Great Britain in 2020/21 and 2021/22, by park (in million GBP)
Premium Statistic Governmental grants given to National Park Authorities in Great Britain 2022, by park
Governmental grants given to National Park Authorities in Great Britain 2022, by park
Governmental grants allocated to National Park Authorities in Great Britain in 2020/21 and 2021/22, by park (in million GBP)
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Number of residents in national parks in England and Wales, by park
Resident population of national parks in England and Wales in 2011 and 2021, by park

Amusement & theme parks

Premium Statistic Oldest amusement parks worldwide 2023
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Oldest amusement parks worldwide as of January 2023, by year of first operation
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Amusement and theme park turnover in the UK 2010-2021
Turnover of amusement and theme parks in the United Kingdom 2010 to 2021 (in million GBP)
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Number of amusement and theme parks companies in the UK 2010-2021
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Value of leading theme parks in the United Kingdom (UK) 2023
Estimated value of selected leading theme parks in the United Kingdom (UK) as of April 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
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Attendance at leading amusement and theme parks in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2022 (in million)
Premium Statistic Ticket prices at leading theme parks in the UK 2023, by ticket type
Ticket prices at leading theme parks in the UK 2023, by ticket type
Ticket prices at selected leading theme parks in the United Kingdom as of July 2023 (in GBP), by ticket type

London

Premium Statistic Distribution of open spaces in London 2023, by land use
Distribution of open spaces in London 2023, by land use
Share of land designated as open spaces in London, England as of May 2023, by land use
Premium Statistic Distribution of public open spaces in London 2023, by park type
Distribution of public open spaces in London 2023, by park type
Share of land designated as a public open space in London, England as of May 2023, by park type
Premium Statistic Distribution of income of The Royal Parks in London 2022/23, by type
Distribution of income of The Royal Parks in London 2022/23, by type
Income of The Royal Parks in London, England in 2022/23, by type (in million GBP)
Premium Statistic Distribution of expenditure of The Royal Parks in London 2022/23, by type
Distribution of expenditure of The Royal Parks in London 2022/23, by type
Expenditure of The Royal Parks in London, England in 2022/23, by type (in million GBP)
Premium Statistic Number of accidents reported to The Royal Parks in London 2020-2023, by quarter
Number of accidents reported to The Royal Parks in London 2020-2023, by quarter
Number of accidents reported to The Royal Parks in London, England from 2020/21 to 2022/23, by quarter
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Number of criminal reports received quarterly by The Royal Parks in London 2020-2023
Number of crime and criminal damage reports received by The Royal Parks in London, England from 2020/21 to 2022/23

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