Global wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73 per cent over the past five decades, but India has recorded increases in several major species including tigers, Asiatic lions and rhinoceroses according to the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) Living Planet Report 2026.
Released on October 8, 2026, the report found that the average size of monitored wildlife populations fell by 73 per cent between 1970 and 2022. Prepared in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) the assessment analysed population trends across 5,790 vertebrate species.
Habitat loss and degradation were identified as the most frequently reported threats to wildlife, followed by overexploitation, climate change, pollution invasive species and disease. The report linked these pressures to broader challenges in global food, energy and financial systems.
Freshwater wildlife populations experienced the steepest decline falling by an average of 85 per cent. Terrestrial populations declined by 69 per cent while marine populations recorded a 59 per cent decrease.
Despite the global trend, the report highlighted conservation successes in several countries, including India where targeted efforts have helped some wildlife populations recover.
“The Living Planet Report 2026 is both a stark reminder of the scale of the biodiversity crisis and a message of hope,” said Ravi Singh secretary general and chief executive of WWF India.
India Records Growth in Several Wildlife Species
India’s conservation efforts have contributed to increases in several major wildlife populations. According to the 2022 All India Tiger Estimation the country had an estimated 3,682 tigers.
The population of greater one-horned rhinoceroses exceeded 3,300, while the common leopard population was estimated at 13,874. India’s Asiatic lion population rose from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025.
The country’s first nationwide snow leopard assessment estimated the population at 718. India has also made progress in monitoring aquatic wildlife through its first range-wide river dolphin population assessment.
Conducted between 2021 and 2023, the river dolphin assessment covered 8,507 kilometres across 28 rivers and produced a science based estimate of 6,324 Ganges river dolphins across the surveyed range.
These findings demonstrate the importance of scientific monitoring and sustained conservation programmes in tracking wildlife populations and assessing the effectiveness of protection measures.
Asia Pacific Wildlife Populations Also Decline
The report found that monitored vertebrate populations across the Asia-Pacific region declined by an average of 49 per cent between 1970 and 2022.
The regional assessment covered 4,664 monitored populations belonging to 787 species. Compared with the 2024 edition, the latest report included 1 per cent more monitored populations and 2 per cent more species.
While India’s wildlife recovery offers encouraging evidence of conservation progress, experts have cautioned that population increases among selected species do not necessarily reflect the overall condition of biodiversity.
Conservation experts Welcome India’s Progress but Flag Gaps
SP Yadav, director general of the International Big Cat Alliance praised India’s wildlife conservation efforts highlighting its progress in protecting large carnivores.
Yadav said India was home to approximately 70 per cent of the world’s wild tigers, with the country’s tiger population growing at an estimated annual rate of 6.1 per cent. He also pointed to the recovery of Asiatic lions and said India’s reintroduced cheetahs were gradually adapting to their new habitat.
He attributed the country’s conservation achievements to government funding, scientific planning and the use of technology in wildlife management.
However, wildlife scientist and conservationist YS Jhala warned that conservation strategies must extend beyond protected areas.
“India is doing well in protected area-based species conservation, but we need to prepare and follow appropriate conservation strategies for animals largely remaining outside protected areas, like the Great Indian bustard, Indian wolf, foxes and likewise,” Jhala said.
He noted that an adequate strategy for protecting species that live largely outside designated protected areas was still lacking.
Growing Human Wildlife Conflict Remains a Concern
Qamar Qureshi, a wildlife conservation expert and professor at the Wildlife Institute of India, highlighted another challenge associated with wildlife recovery: increasing conflict between humans and animals.
He warned that growing populations of big cats and other mammals had contributed to rising human wildlife conflict, with poorer communities often bearing a disproportionate share of the consequences.
Poaching also remains a threat to wildlife conservation highlighting the need for continued monitoring, enforcement and community participation.
The report stressed that conservation measures alone would not be enough to reverse global biodiversity loss. Addressing the wider causes of environmental degradation, including habitat destruction and unsustainable resource use will also be essential.
Earlier Reports Highlighted Continuing Threats
The findings build on concerns raised in WWF Living Planet Report 2024 which documented substantial declines in monitored wildlife populations worldwide. That report recorded a 95 per cent decline in Latin America and the Caribbean, 76 per cent in Africa and 60 per cent in Asia and the Pacific.
Habitat loss and degradation driven by agricultural expansion, urban development and infrastructure projects, were identified as major threats. Such activities can fragment habitats and wildlife corridors, making it harder for animals to find food, reproduce and move between ecosystems.
In India, these pressures have affected wildlife and fragile ecosystems, including freshwater habitats and wetlands. The 2024 report also highlighted concerns over declining vulture populations.
The latest findings underline the contrast between global biodiversity losses and India’s progress in conserving certain flagship species. Experts say maintaining these gains will require stronger protection for wildlife outside protected areas measures to reduce human wildlife conflict and action against the underlying drivers of habitat degradation.