Global Wildlife Decline Continues Despite Conservation Successes Across Several Species and Critical Habitats

A major global assessment has revealed stark trends across wildlife populations, while also pointing to encouraging signs that targeted action can still make a measurable difference.

Photo by MARIOLA GROBELSKA on Unsplash

Image Credit: Photo by MARIOLA GROBELSKA on Unsplash

Wildlife populations monitored around the world continued to decline through 2022, according to the 2026 Living Planet Report, with researchers finding no evidence yet of a broad global recovery despite isolated conservation successes.

The report, produced using the Living Planet Index managed by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and WWF, tracked 35,803 populations representing 5,790 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish over a 52-year period.

Its findings showed that monitored wildlife populations declined by an average of roughly 2.5 per cent annually between 1970 and 2022. Conservation scientists said the latest data reinforces concerns over the continuing deterioration of biodiversity across multiple ecosystems.

Andrew Terry, chief conservation officer at ZSL, said monitored populations are still falling on average, with no signs so far of a global turnaround.

Researchers also stressed that the figures do not represent a direct count of animals lost worldwide. Instead, the index measures changes in monitored populations over time, making the results particularly sensitive to fluctuations among already small populations.

Freshwater species experienced the most severe average decline. According to the report, monitored freshwater populations fell by 85 per cent over the study period. Terrestrial wildlife recorded an average decline of 69 per cent, while marine species declined by 59 per cent.

The regional picture was equally stark. South America registered the steepest average reduction among monitored wildlife populations, with declines reaching 95 per cent. Africa followed with an average decline of 80 per cent between 1970 and 2022.

The latest edition of the report expanded its scope compared with the previous assessment released in 2024. Researchers incorporated data from an additional 295 species and 967 populations while also extending the available time series.

New data strengthens concerns over biodiversity loss

According to the researchers, the expanded dataset strengthened confidence in the broader trend already observed in previous assessments.

The report identified habitat loss and habitat degradation as the most frequently reported pressures affecting wildlife populations. However, scientists noted that biodiversity faces multiple simultaneous threats.

Overexploitation of natural resources, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease were also highlighted as major factors contributing to population declines across ecosystems.

The findings underscore the scale of challenges facing global conservation efforts. Yet researchers and conservation organisations argued that the outlook is not entirely negative.

WWF Director General Kirsten Schuijt said evidence from several conservation programmes demonstrates that recovery remains achievable when interventions are carefully targeted and sustained.

The report pointed to a number of species whose populations have improved following dedicated conservation measures. Examples cited include tigers, Atlantic bluefin tuna, Pacific bluefin tuna, southern African elephants and green sea turtles.

These recoveries suggest that wildlife losses are not irreversible and that coordinated action can produce measurable results. According to WWF, successful conservation outcomes provide practical examples of what can be achieved when threats are addressed directly.

However, the report argues that protecting species alone will not be sufficient to halt broader biodiversity decline. Conservation efforts must be accompanied by wider changes across economic and social systems.

Schuijt said reforms involving energy systems, food production and financial structures will be necessary alongside species-focused conservation if nature loss is to be reversed at scale.

The report ultimately presents a mixed picture: continuing deterioration across thousands of monitored wildlife populations combined with evidence that targeted action can still deliver results. While biodiversity remains under immense pressure worldwide, researchers argue that proven conservation measures, supported by broader systemic changes, offer a pathway to stabilising and eventually restoring wildlife populations in the years ahead.