World Wildlife Fund: 2024 Living Planet Report

Wildlife Populations Declined 73% Over 50 Years 

Over the last 50 years, wild vertebrate populations have dropped by 73%, the World Wildlife Fund said in a 2024 report released in October. The group collected 34,836 population trends on 5,495 vertebrate species—including mammals, marine life, and birds—in its “Living Planet Index” (LPI). Although many wildlife populations are stable or increasing, the global LPI estimated, on average, populations fell by 73% between 1970 and 2020, with an annual decline of 2.6%. 

1. Declining species include the African forest elephant (78% to 81% decline between 2004 and 2014) due to poaching for ivory trade, Chinook salmon (88% decline from 1970 to 2020) due to dams blocking cold water needed for their survival, and Chinstrap penguin (61% decline on average between 1980 and 2019) due to changes in sea ice and shortages of krill. 

2. Increasing species include the European bison (0 to 6,800 increase from 1950 to 2020) from large-scale breeding, reintroductions, and translocations, as well as the mountain gorilla (3% increase per year between 2010 and 2016) from close monitoring and intervention services. 

3. The LPI for marine species indicated a 56% decline due to declining fish stocks. Meanwhile, the LPI for freshwater species saw a decline of 85%, caused by changes to their habitats.  

4. For terrestrial species (such as animals living in forests, deserts, and grasslands), the LPI indicated a 69% decline. 

5. By region, Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest decline of 95% for its 3,936 populations and 1,362 species, primarily due to conversion of grasslands, forests, and wetlands; overexploitation of species; and introduction of alien species. Meanwhile, Europe and Central Asia had the lowest decline of 35% for its 4,615 populations and 619 species. 

6. The dominant drivers of change were habitat loss/degradation, overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species/genes, and disease. 

7. Typically, habitat loss/degradation had the greatest impact in all regions across almost all species categories.** 

Note: The breakdown of species and populations is given below. 

	Marine	Terrestrial	Freshwater	Total
Populations	16,909	11,318	6,609	34,836
Species	1,816	2,519	1,472	5,807*

*There is overlap between some species, making the total above 5,495. 

**Species categories are amphibians, birds, fishes, mammals, and reptiles.  

Source:  

• https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5gc2qerb1v_2024_living_planet_report_a_system_in_peril.pdf