Wildlife populations have declined 73% since 1970—but many of the world's animals still aren't being counted

Wildlife populations around the world have declined by an average of 73% since 1970. That's according to the WWF's new 2026 Living Planet Index—a major estimate, updated every two years, of the changing state of nature. This does not mean that 73% of the world's animals have disappeared. Rather, it is the average decline in the size of wildlife populations being monitored.