What the numbers show
The cadastre snapshot holds 1,449,092 parcels in Attica, covering 3,508 km². On the public forest maps, 56.6% of that parcel area carries codes that fall under forest law, close to the figure for Greece as a whole (61.6%). This is a measure of how often forest-map codes come up, not of how much of Attica is forest: the maps code all land, including grassland and land that was forest in older aerial photos.
16.8% of parcels touch a forest-law code somewhere inside their boundary (Greece: 26.0%), and 12.9% are mostly covered by one (Greece: 16.5%). So in Attica, forest-map codes come up less often than average, but a single coded strip can still matter for a sale.
Parcel size matters. Among parcels under 500 m², 11.8% touch a forest-law code; among parcels over 20,000 m², 70.3% do. The median parcel in Attica is 377 m² (Greece: 1,251 m²). If you are looking at a large rural plot, expect the forest map to be one of the first things your lawyer and engineer check.
Of the 13 regions, Attica ranks 12th by the share of parcels touching a forest-law code, where 1st is the highest. In neighbouring regions the figure is: Central Greece 31.7%, Peloponnese 28.2%. Differences between regions reflect landscape, settlement patterns and how much of each region the public cadastre already covers, so compare like with like: a village plot in one region with a village plot in the next.
5.6% of parcels touch an ΑΝ code, land declared for reforestation (Greece: 2.6%). That is notably more than average. Land is often declared for reforestation after a fire, so ask whether any part of the parcel is covered, by which decision and when.
By parcel size
| Parcel size | Parcels | Area under codes | Touching | Mostly coded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 500 m² | 848,032 | 10.9% | 11.8% | 10.3% |
| 500–4,000 m² | 503,652 | 15.2% | 18.9% | 13.3% |
| 4,000–20,000 m² | 83,415 | 33.0% | 46.7% | 29.5% |
| Over 20,000 m² | 13,993 | 82.5% | 70.3% | 56.6% |
What this does not show
- It cannot tell you about pending objections, reforms, fires not yet on the map, or who owns the land, and it is not the Forest Directorate certificate needed for a sale.
- Whether a particular map is ratified or still posted, or whether an objection is pending.
- Anything about ownership, permits or whether a plot can be built on.
- Parcels missing from the public cadastre snapshot. Areas where the cadastral survey is not complete are under-represented.
Questions for your lawyer or engineer
- 01Is the parcel on a ratified map or only a posted one, and which code applies to each part of it?
- 02Is there a characterisation act or an objection committee decision for this land?
- 03Can you obtain the Forest Directorate certificate, or issue the engineer's declaration, needed for the sale?
- 04Does the Cadastre list the State as owner of any part, and can that be corrected?
- 05Does the non-forest part alone meet the minimum plot rules for building?
- 06Is any part declared for reforestation, including after a fire?
Method and sources
- Parcels: Hellenic Cadastre snapshot dated 2 September 2026. Forest maps: the regional files published on data.gov.gr (version datagov-202604).
- Forest-law codes: ΔΔ, ΑΔ, ΔΑ, ΠΔ, ΑΝ, ΠΧ, ΧΧ, ΧΑ, ΑΧ, ΧΔ, Δ, Χ, as listed in the forest maps guide. A polygon counts when any of its code fields carries one of them.
- The forest files stack the original map with later amendments, so overlapping polygons are merged within each parcel before measuring. Areas are geodesic.
- A parcel "touches" a code when the coded area inside it is at least 1 m² and at least 1% of the parcel; smaller overlaps are treated as mapping slivers. "Mostly coded" means more than 50% of the parcel.
- Computed on 8 October 2026. Figures will change when either source is updated.