Context: Living Planet Index (LPI) 2026: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) report Science of Hope estimates an average 73% decline in monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2022, highlighting growing biodiversity concerns.
- Key clarification: The 73% figure represents the average change in monitored population sizes, not a 73% loss of individual animals, species or populations, nor a 73% extinction rate.
Key Findings of the Living Planet Index 2026
- Dataset: The index covers 35,803 wildlife populations across mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish; it does not yet cover invertebrates or plants.
- Population trends: Of the studied populations, 50% were declining, 43% increasing and 7% stable, demonstrating that wildlife trends vary considerably across populations.
- Regional differences: Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the steepest average decline (95%), followed by Africa (80%), Asia (49%) and Europe (23%) since 1970.
- Interpretation: The index measures changes in monitored population sizes; it does not directly establish the number of species extinct, individuals lost or populations declining.
How Is the Living Planet Index Calculated?
- Population-level data: Researchers compile time-series data on changes in the abundance of monitored wildlife populations, with 1970 serving as the reference year, although many populations have shorter or incomplete records.
- Geometric mean: The index aggregates population trends using a weighted geometric mean, combining relative changes across monitored populations to estimate the overall trend.
- Meaning of the 73% decline: An index value reflecting a 73% decline means the aggregate index has fallen to approximately 27% of its baseline value; it does not mean that 73% of animals have disappeared.
- Limitations: Results depend on data availability, geographical representation, population selection and weighting; the index is not a census of all global wildlife.
Why Have Estimates Changed Between Reports?
- Earlier estimates: The 2022 LPI reported a 69% decline, while the 2024 and 2026 editions reported 73%; these figures should not be interpreted as straightforward measurements of changes occurring between successive publication years.
- Changing datasets: The index incorporates new populations and species as data improve, potentially shifting the entire historical trend line rather than reflecting only recent wildlife losses.
- Methodological change: The 2022 edition included both native and non-native species, whereas subsequent editions included only native species, affecting comparability.
- Improved African coverage: Between the latest editions, the number of monitored populations increased by around 1,000 (3%) and species by about 300 (5%); the 2026 dataset also recorded a substantial increase in African coverage, with populations rising by 14% and species by 38%.
Regional Patterns and Major Drivers
- Latin America and the Caribbean: The steepest decline (95%) is associated with intense deforestation, agricultural expansion and habitat loss; high levels of endemism and specialised ecological requirements increase vulnerability to environmental changes.
- Africa: Despite its rich biodiversity and remaining large-mammal populations, the region recorded an average 80% decline, underscoring the need for stronger habitat protection and species conservation.
- Asia: The region recorded an average 49% decline, reflecting significant pressures on wildlife populations and ecosystems.
- Europe: The continent recorded the smallest average decline (23%) among the regions discussed, although this does not imply that all European wildlife populations are stable or recovering.
Conservation Implications
- Targeted interventions: Conservation resources should prioritise populations experiencing severe declines while also protecting populations that are stable or increasing.
- Habitat restoration: Controlling deforestation, limiting agricultural encroachment and restoring degraded ecosystems are particularly important in biodiversity-rich regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Evidence-based monitoring: Improved long-term monitoring, representative geographical coverage and transparent methodologies are essential for identifying genuine ecological trends and evaluating conservation outcomes.
Additional Information
- WWF: The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international conservation organisation working on biodiversity protection, habitat conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
- Biodiversity and ecosystem health: Population declines can indicate ecosystem degradation and increasing risks to ecological functions, including pollination, food-web stability and ecosystem resilience.
- Global Biodiversity Framework: The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), sets global biodiversity goals and targets, including conserving at least 30% of land and sea areas by 2030.
- IUCN Red List distinction: The LPI tracks changes in the abundance of monitored populations, whereas the IUCN Red List assesses species’ extinction risk; the two indicators measure different aspects of biodiversity change.
