A 73% average decline in wildlife populations: an overview of the 2026 Living Planet Index report

The Living Planet Index (LPI) is a report published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that tracks changes in the populations of thousands of wildlife species over time.

The 2026 edition, released on October 8, 2026, calculates an average decline of 73% in studied wildlife populations since 1970.

The LPI focuses on vertebrates like mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, but does not yet include invertebrates or plants.

It is updated every two years using data from over 35,803 populations.

The index is designed to provide a broad overview of biodiversity trends rather than measuring extinctions or species loss directly.

Researchers collect population data from various sources, calculate the rate of change for each population, and then compute a geometric mean to produce the final LPI figure.