Average size of animal populations falls by 73 per cent
A new WWF report signals major declines worldwide, but also recovery among species for which long-term protection works.
The average size of monitored populations of wild vertebrate animals fell by 73 per cent between 1970 and 2022. According to the Living Planet Report 2026, about half of the populations studied are stable or growing, which its authors say shows that nature recovery is possible.
The WWF report, prepared using data from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), tracks populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The Living Planet Index measures the average change in the size of those populations; the figure does not mean that 73 per cent of all wild animals have disappeared, nor that every population studied is declining.
The new edition contains 35,803 population trends covering 5,790 vertebrate species. According to the report, the sharpest average decline occurred in freshwater areas, at 85 per cent. For land populations, the report cites a decline of 69 per cent and for marine areas 59 per cent.
Regional differences are substantial. Latin America and the Caribbean show the steepest decline. WWF points especially to habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and diseases as threats to the populations studied.
At the same time, the report cites examples of species recovering. According to WWF, the number of wild tigers grew from about 3,200 in 2010 to around 5,700 by about 2025. Populations of savannah elephants in parts of southern Africa and green sea turtles are also showing recovery after long-term protection programmes.
In the Netherlands, WWF cites the otter as an example. Because of polluted water, hunting and habitat fragmentation, the species had disappeared from the wild by 1988; according to the organisation, there are now about 450 to 500 otters living in the country again. That recovery says nothing about the state of Dutch nature as a whole, but it does illustrate that targeted measures can have an effect.
WWF attributes nature loss not only to individual projects or species, but also to the way energy, food and money are produced and used worldwide. The organisation therefore calls for changes to those systems. That is a policy choice, not a separate measurement from the index.
The figures also involve a delay: the global index runs to 2022. The report therefore does not describe the current state of every species, but a long-term trend in populations for which sufficient monitoring data are available. Its central message is therefore twofold: the decline is large and widespread, but recovery can be demonstrated when protection is maintained for long enough.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Living Planet Report 2026 reports an average decline of 73 per cent between 1970 and 2022 in monitored vertebrate animal populations.
- The index is an average of selected population trends and does not measure the total number of animals worldwide.
- About half of the populations tracked are stable or increasing.
- Protection and management have led to recovery in several species.
Left
Arguments The decline calls for binding limits on pollution, deforestation, overfishing and emissions, combined with public investment in nature recovery. Costs and responsibility should primarily fall on sectors causing the greatest nature loss.
Values Ecological limits, social justice and protection for communities most dependent on nature.
Consequences Faster and more extensive recovery could limit nature loss, but stricter rules could make production, energy and land use more expensive in the short term.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach combines measurable targets, targeted protection and gradual adaptation of agriculture, energy and finance. Policies should be evaluated and adjusted when data or local circumstances change.
Values Effectiveness, feasibility, international cooperation and a balance between nature, the economy and livelihood security.
Consequences This approach can increase support and continuity, but there is a risk that measures will proceed too slowly for ecosystems already under severe pressure.
Right
Arguments Nature recovery works best when local communities, landowners and businesses are given room to choose solutions. From this perspective, innovation, property rights, voluntary cooperation and market incentives can be more effective than broad central bans.
Values Individual responsibility, enterprise, local control and restraint in government intervention.
Consequences Tailored approaches can limit costs and accelerate practical solutions, but without firm minimum standards, economic interests may continue to displace vulnerable nature.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures and the explanation of the index were checked directly against the WWF summary and an independent EFE publication. The text clearly distinguishes between monitored population trends and all wild animals and presents the policy interpretation as WWF’s position.
- confirmed The average size of monitored populations of wild vertebrate animals fell by 73 per cent between 1970 and 2022. — This appears in the Dutch summary of the Living Planet Report 2026. source
- confirmed The index measures populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians and is an average, not a count of all animals. — The WWF summary describes the composition and scope of the Living Planet Index. source
- confirmed The report analysed 35,803 population trends covering 5,790 vertebrate species. — This number is reported by EFE in ABC Color in its discussion of the report. source
- confirmed About half of monitored populations are stable or increasing. — This is mentioned in the WWF summary and on the Dutch report page. source
- confirmed The average decline is 85 per cent for freshwater populations, 69 per cent for land populations and 59 per cent for marine populations. — This breakdown appears in EFE’s account of the report. source
- confirmed According to WWF, the number of wild tigers rose from about 3,200 in 2010 to around 5,700 by about 2025. — The figures appear in the Dutch WWF summary. source
- confirmed WWF says changes to energy, food and financial systems are necessary to address nature loss. — This is WWF’s policy interpretation and conclusion in the report summary, not an independent measurement. source
Editor's note
The index figures, the populations studied and the recovery examples cited are certain according to WWF and the report data consulted by EFE. The state of species that are monitored only sparsely remains uncertain; the index also runs to 2022 and is not a count of all wild animals.Sources
- Living Planet Report 2026 – Nederlandse samenvatting — Wereld Natuur Fonds Nederland
- Living Planet Report 2026 — Wereld Natuur Fonds Nederland
- El tamaño medio de las poblaciones mundiales de vida silvestre disminuyó un 73% en 52 años — ABC Color / EFE