Living Planet Index 2024 - Zoological Society of London

Monitored wildlife populations have decreased on average by 73% between 1970 and 2020

These findings, from the latest Living Planet Index by our Institute of Zoology – the most comprehensive measure of vertebrate population trends across the globe.

The Living Planet Index informs WWF’s bi-annual Living Planet Report 2024.

What does this mean for nature, and what do we need to do to protect nature?

What is the Living Planet Index?

The Living Planet Index is a key indicator that conservationists use to understand the state of nature and guide conservation action. It reflects the average trend in monitored wildlife populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish around the world, and is an early warning of increasing extinction risk and the potential loss of ecosystem function and resilience.

Measuring how and why nature is changing is critical to protecting it, and our world leading team of researchers spent over a year compiling and analysing data from monitored populations around the world to update this year’s indicator – integrating data from on 34,836 population trends and 5,495 species. While no single measure is capable of capturing all aspects of nature, when used in combination indicators can tell us how nature is changing globally and locally.

The results of the global Living Planet Index (LPI) are presented biennially in WWF's Living Planet Report, a leading science-based publication on the state of the planet and associated challenges and solutions. WWF’s LPR is produced in collaboration with ZSL and a number of other organisations, looking at human pressures and impacts on the planet.

Download the full Living Planet Report 2024