Living Planet Report shows 73% drop in wildlife populations since 1970

Global population trends

The World Wide Fund for Nature and the Zoological Society of London published the sixteenth Living Planet Report, subtitled The Science of Hope. The study tracks 35,803 population trends across 5,790 vertebrate species between 1970 and 2022, excluding invertebrates. Monitored vertebrate populations declined by an average of 73% across the 52-year span. That rate matches the 2024 edition, though the latest assessment incorporates more datasets and a longer evaluation window.

Robert Zwiers, head of impact at the organization, described the dual trajectory in the findings.

The most important message of this report is that nature recovery is within reach. Globally, wild animals are under severe pressure, but we also see that wild animals are making a comeback worldwide.

Data shows that 50% of monitored populations shrank, 7% remained stable, and 43% grew. The aggregate average dropped because declining populations shrank faster than growing populations expanded.

Ecosystem and regional losses

Contractions varied across ecosystems and regions. Freshwater systems suffered the steepest fall, with monitored vertebrate populations falling 85% between 1970 and 2022. Terrestrial populations fell 69%, while marine species dropped 59%. Slow-breeding groups such as sharks and rays faced severe pressure from fishing and net bycatch.

Regional losses peaked in Latin America and the Caribbean, where monitored populations dropped 95% over the period. Monitored African populations declined by 80%. Europe recorded a 23% drop, though researchers noted that most European wildlife declines took place before the 1970 benchmark.

Targeted conservation recoveries

Targeted interventions reversed losses for several high-profile species. Asian tiger numbers grew from roughly 3,200 in 2010 to 5,700 around 2025, an increase exceeding 75% tracked by camera traps. That turnaround followed the Global Tiger Initiative, which expanded protected reserves and trained professional rangers. In Spain and Portugal, Iberian lynx numbers rose from 62 in the early 2000s to about 2,500 after local communities and hunters supported strict anti-poaching measures.

Rebecca Shaw, lead author of the report, explained the editorial focus on positive cases.

We have been worried for some time that news about nature is always negative. Hope drives the change we need, and we feed that with stories of nature recovery. The green sea turtle, the South African elephant, the bluefin tuna, and the tiger have all recovered significantly thanks to decisive nature policy.

Marine recoveries included Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tuna following catch quotas. In the Netherlands, Eurasian otters returned from local extinction to over 450 individuals following water cleanups and habitat reconnections.

Systemic economic drivers

The report identifies food production, energy, and finance as the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Kirsten Schuijt, international director of the organization, addressed the wider consequences of ecosystem decay.

Nature is deteriorating on an alarming scale. Much more is at stake than just the decline of individual species. Food and medicine production, for example, depends on healthy ecosystems, and those are under pressure.

Two thirds of global biodiversity loss stems from habitat destruction, hunting, overfishing, and climate change. Agriculture occupies 60% of land in countries like the Netherlands. Globally, governments provide $470 billion annually in subsidies for harmful agricultural practices, and $7 trillion flows into fossil fuels. Report authors stated that while renewable energy investments in Europe show self-sustaining momentum, financial and food systems remain in an early transition phase.