Wildlife populations have fallen 73 percent since 1970, WWF report says

Wildlife populations of vertebrate species have declined by an average of 73 percent since 1970, according to a new World Wide Fund for Nature report, ERR reports. The analysis, based on Living Planet Index data compiled by the Zoological Society of London, tracked nearly 36,000 populations across about 5,800 species.

The steepest decline was recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean, where wildlife populations fell by 95 percent. Freshwater species also suffered a sharp drop, down 85 percent.

The report says biodiversity loss affects not only the environment but also national economies and food security. In the United Kingdom, extreme weather is expected to bring the worst harvest on record this year, it notes.

Meanwhile, large areas of former natural habitat in South America are being used to grow soy to feed millions of birds raised in European poultry farms, contributing to biodiversity loss elsewhere in the world.

Scientists say reversing the trend will require systemic changes in food production and finance. Proposed measures include shifting towards more nature-friendly diets, reforming agricultural subsidies and directing investment towards activities that help ecosystems recover.

The report also points to signs that nature can recover faster than expected, citing the return of Atlantic bluefin tuna to British waters and rising tiger numbers in several parts of Asia. The findings appear in the WWF report Living Planet Report 2026.