Nature’s impact on economic resilience

Science Insights

Takeaways

Over half the world’s total GDP depends moderately or highly on nature and its services.
19 out of 23 economic sectors in the EU have substantial dependencies for at least 40% of gross value added.
Up to 36% of the EU’s gross value added is highly dependent on nature, compared to 22% in the United States.
75% of EU corporate loans are granted to companies that heavily rely on nature, which is a risk to the financial sector.
Every €1 invested in nature generates €4-38 in socio-economic benefits, such as carbon sequestration and pollination.

The figure shows the share of Gross Value Added (GVA) that is highly dependent on nature [3]. The EU’s highly nature-reliant share of GVA (36 %) is above the global average; therefore, maintaining healthy ecosystems is of strategic importance for ensuring the EU's economic resilience.

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Originally Published \| Last Updated	04 Dec 2025 \| 26 Aug 2026
Publisher \| Metadata	Science Insights
Digital Europa Thesaurus (DET)	economic policy

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