AI Insight
The WWF's 2026 Living Planet Index reports that monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% since 1970. This statistic represents the average reduction in population sizes of tracked species, not that 73% of individual animals have disappeared. The index is updated biennially and serves as a major global assessment of biodiversity trends.
Why it matters
This substantial decline in wildlife populations indicates severe pressures on global ecosystems and biodiversity loss. The finding highlights ongoing challenges in conservation efforts and the need for enhanced monitoring, as many animal populations worldwide remain untracked and their status unknown.
Understand the Science
Wildlife populations around the world have declined by an average of 73% since 1970. That’s according to the WWF’s new 2026 Living Planet Index—a major estimate, updated every two years, of the changing state of nature. This does not mean that 73% of the world’s animals have disappeared. Rather, it is the average decline in the size of wildlife populations being monitored.