The average size of monitored wildlife populations around the world has fallen by 73 per cent since 1970, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Report 2026, published on Thursday.
The report draws on the Living Planet Index, compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which tracked 35,803 populations of 5,790 vertebrate species — mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish — over a 52-year period. The index estimates that populations shrank by an average of about 2.5 per cent per year.
Freshwater species hit hardest
Freshwater populations fared the worst, declining by an average of 85 per cent, compared with 69 per cent for terrestrial species and 59 per cent for marine species, the index showed. The steepest regional falls were in South America, at 95 per cent, followed by Africa at 80 per cent and Asia and the Pacific at 49 per cent.
Andrew Terry, chief conservation officer at ZSL, said monitored global populations continue to decline on average, with no evidence yet of a global recovery. The report cautions that the 73 per cent figure represents an average change in population size, not a headcount of total animals lost, and is especially sensitive to shifts in already small populations.
Habitat loss the leading threat
Habitat loss and degradation were the most frequently reported threat to the monitored populations, followed by overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease. The 2026 edition incorporated an additional 295 species and 967 populations over a longer time series than the previous report in 2024 — extra data that, Terry said, reinforces confidence in the continued decline of biodiversity.
Recovery still within reach, WWF says
WWF's director general, Kirsten Schuijt, said there are grounds for hope, arguing that wildlife populations are under pressure but recovery is within reach if the world acts quickly. The report notes the stakes are economic as well as environmental, since about half of global GDP depends on nature, and cites a UK government assessment which found that every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse, threatening national security and prosperity.
Sources: Reuters — Populations of wild species fell by an average of 73% from 1970 to 2022, WWF says | Times Now — Wildlife Populations See Staggering 73% Decline Since 1970, WWF Report Finds
The report draws on the Living Planet Index, compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which tracked 35,803 populations of 5,790 vertebrate species — mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish — over a 52-year period. The index estimates that populations shrank by an average of about 2.5 per cent per year.
Freshwater species hit hardest
Freshwater populations fared the worst, declining by an average of 85 per cent, compared with 69 per cent for terrestrial species and 59 per cent for marine species, the index showed. The steepest regional falls were in South America, at 95 per cent, followed by Africa at 80 per cent and Asia and the Pacific at 49 per cent.
Andrew Terry, chief conservation officer at ZSL, said monitored global populations continue to decline on average, with no evidence yet of a global recovery. The report cautions that the 73 per cent figure represents an average change in population size, not a headcount of total animals lost, and is especially sensitive to shifts in already small populations.
Habitat loss the leading threat
Habitat loss and degradation were the most frequently reported threat to the monitored populations, followed by overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease. The 2026 edition incorporated an additional 295 species and 967 populations over a longer time series than the previous report in 2024 — extra data that, Terry said, reinforces confidence in the continued decline of biodiversity.
Recovery still within reach, WWF says
WWF's director general, Kirsten Schuijt, said there are grounds for hope, arguing that wildlife populations are under pressure but recovery is within reach if the world acts quickly. The report notes the stakes are economic as well as environmental, since about half of global GDP depends on nature, and cites a UK government assessment which found that every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse, threatening national security and prosperity.
Sources: Reuters — Populations of wild species fell by an average of 73% from 1970 to 2022, WWF says | Times Now — Wildlife Populations See Staggering 73% Decline Since 1970, WWF Report Finds
