A 73% average decline in wildlife populations: the 2026 Living Planet Index

The 2026 Living Planet Index finds an average 73% decline in studied wildlife populations between 1970 and 2022, based on 35,803 populations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish (invertebrates and plants are excluded). That 73% is the geometric mean of individual population rates of change, with different weights applied, and does not equate to 73% of species lost, 73% of populations declining, or 73% extinctions. Many time series are short and few extend to 1970, so the index aggregates diverse, uneven datasets; headline shifts across updates largely reflect changes in which populations and regions are included rather than sudden recent collapses.

Beneath the headline, half of studied populations declined, 43% increased and 7% were stable, highlighting that severe declines coexist with recoveries. The 2022 index reported a 69% decline and 2024 a 73% decline; the 2026 repetition of 73% comes after modest increases in dataset size (~1,000 populations, ~300 species) and deliberate boosts in underrepresented regions (Africa: +14% populations, +38% species) and from methodological changes such as excluding non-native species since 2024. The pattern implies conservation should prioritize the populations in worst trouble and investigate why some populations are thriving while others collapse.