Protected areas in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, and Croatia were compared to understand their nature conservation systems. The study used national data and an international database to analyze protection categories. Results showed that each country has unique characteristics in their protection categories, with varying proportions of protected areas. Croatia has the highest proportion of protected areas, while Serbia has the lowest. Some countries have deficiencies in data reliability, but the international database used is a useful tool for mapping protected areas and identifying trends.