Wildlife Populations Are Down 73%, but Tigers and Tuna Are Rebounding

Keypoints:

• The 2026 Living Planet Report finds an average 73% decline in monitored wildlife populations from 1970 to 2022
• The index covers 35,803 populations of 5,790 vertebrate species
• Freshwater species fell 85%, terrestrial 69% and marine 59%
• Wild tigers rose from about 3,200 in 2010 to about 5,700 in 2025
• A United Nations report says fewer than half of national biodiversity targets are on track

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London published the 16th Living Planet Report on 8 October. Its headline figure is a 73% average decline in monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2022. The data cover 35,803 populations of 5,790 vertebrate species, almost 300 more species than the previous edition. That works out to an average annual decline of 2.5%.

Not every region is equal. Freshwater species fared worst, with an 85% decline. Terrestrial species fell 69% and marine species 59%. By region, Latin America and the Caribbean lost 95%, Africa 80% and Asia-Pacific 49%. Habitat loss and degradation is the most frequently reported threat. Overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease follow.

One number needs careful reading. The 73% is the average change in population size across the monitored populations. It does not mean 73% of animals have disappeared. Analysts at Our World in Data note that around half of the populations in the index have declined.

The report also stresses recovery. Wild tigers grew from about 3,200 in 2010 to roughly 5,700 in 2025, a rise of more than 70%. Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tuna have recovered after overfishing. Green sea turtles and Atlantic bluefin tuna are no longer listed as Endangered. Many African elephant populations are stable or growing, and sea otters are increasing. India reports rising numbers of tigers, rhinos and lions.

Policy is the next test. The UN published a report on 15 October ahead of the COP17 biodiversity conference in Yerevan, Armenia. It found fewer than half of national targets are on track. Even if current commitments are met, only 26% of land and 12% of the ocean would be protected by 2030, short of the 30% goal. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the war on nature has not ended.