The Living Planet Index reveals a 73% average decline in monitored wildlife populations since 1970, with freshwater species suffering an 85% decrease.
Wildlife on the Edge: Living Planet Index Report
Despite three decades of policy efforts to curb nature loss, wildlife populations have declined sharply. The 2024 Living Planet Index (LPI) reveals a 73% decrease in monitored populations between 1970 and 2020, averaging a 2.6% yearly drop. This alarming figure spans almost 35,000 population trends across 5,495 species, underscoring global biodiversity’s continued threats, the Living Planet Index Report reveals.
Regional wildlife population declines from 1970 to 2020
Regionally, wildlife populations have declined most rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a striking 95% drop, followed by Africa at 76% and Asia and the Pacific at 60%. Europe and Central Asia saw a comparatively lower decline of 35%, while North America recorded a 39% decrease.
A Broken Food System: Record Production Yet Rising Hunger and Malnutrition
The global food system is paradoxical—it drives biodiversity loss, depletes water resources, and contributes to climate change, yet fails to meet nutritional needs. Despite record food production, approximately 735 million people experience hunger daily. Meanwhile, obesity rates climb, and nearly a third of the world’s population still lacks regular access to nutritious food.
Alarming Declines Across Ecosystems: Living Planet Index
The global biodiversity index reflects average changes across three key ecosystems: terrestrial, freshwater, and marine (see Fig 1). The findings reveal significant declines in nature across all systems:
- Terrestrial: 69% decline (range: -55% to -79%), with an average annual decline of 2.3%.
- Freshwater: 85% decline (range: -77% to -90%), with an average annual decline of 3.8%.
- Marine: 56% decline (range: -43% to -66%), with an average annual decline of 1.6%.
These results underscore the urgent need for conservation efforts to reverse these alarming trends.
Species Trends in India
Tiger Population Increase: India’s tiger population has increased. Recent estimates from the All-India Tiger Estimation show a count of about 3,682 tigers. The potential upper limit is 3,925. Significant growth occurred in Central India, the Shivalik Hills, and the Gangetic Plains. Key states with notable increases include Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra.
Decline in Open-Habitat Birds: Birds inhabiting open ecosystems, rivers, and coasts have shown declines, as reported in the 2023 State of India’s Birds (SoIB). This study included over 30 million field observations by 30,000 birdwatchers, highlighting losses in grasslands, croplands, and other open habitats.
Drastic Vulture Decline: Essential to ecosystems, South Asia’s vultures—white-rumped, Indian, and slender-billed vultures—have nearly vanished due to declining populations, impacting nutrient recycling and carcass cleanup.
