Living Planet Report 2026: Wildlife Down 73% Since 1970, but India Shows Conservation Gains
WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) released the Living Planet Report 2026 on 8 October 2026, prepared with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
It found an average 73% decline in the size of monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2022. The analysis covered about 35,800 populations of 5,790 vertebrate species (animals with a backbone: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians).
Freshwater populations fell the most (85%), followed by land (terrestrial) 69% and marine 59%. The Asia-Pacific region showed an average decline of 49%.
Habitat loss and degradation was the most reported threat, followed by overexploitation (over-hunting and over-fishing), climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease. The report says conservation efforts alone cannot reverse the decline; food, energy and finance systems must also change.
India was highlighted for recoveries: tigers (3,682 in 2022), greater one-horned rhinos (over 3,300), Asiatic lions (891 in 2025, up from 674 in 2020), snow leopards (718 in the first national count) and 6,324 Ganges river dolphins in the first science-based estimate.
Experts also pointed to gaps: rising human-wildlife conflict as big cat numbers grow, continued poaching, and the lack of a plan for species living outside protected areas, such as the Great Indian Bustard and the Indian wolf.
Living Planet Report and Living Planet Index
The Living Planet Report (LPR) is WWF's flagship report on the health of nature, published every two years. Its headline number comes from the Living Planet Index (LPI), prepared by the Zoological Society of London. The LPI tracks how the size of wildlife populations has changed on average since 1970. It does not count the total number of animals on Earth.
The 2026 report repeats the alarming 73% average fall in wildlife populations, with freshwater life hit hardest. It also picks out India as a country where focused programmes have brought some species back.
Ganges River Dolphin
The Ganges river dolphin is a freshwater dolphin that lives in the Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is almost blind and "sees" by using sound. It is India's National Aquatic Animal. Because it can only live in clean, deep, flowing rivers, its health tells us how healthy our rivers are. Its scientific name is Platanista gangetica, and in many parts of India people call it "susu" or "soons".
The Living Planet Report shows freshwater life falling the fastest of all habitats, by 85%. Against this, India's first science-based count of 6,324 Ganges river dolphins was cited as a sign that focused river conservation can give results.
Project Tiger and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
Project Tiger is India's national programme to save the tiger. It began on 1 April 1973 with 9 tiger reserves. Today it is run by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a body set up by law in 2006. Tigers are counted every four years in the All India Tiger Estimation.
The Living Planet Report cites India's tiger recovery as a model of focused conservation. Experts credited steady government funding, scientific planning and technology, while warning that more tigers also mean more conflict with people living near forests.
Asiatic Lion: Taxonomy, Status, and India's Unique Responsibility
The Asiatic lion once lived across West Asia and much of north and central India. Today, wild Asiatic lions survive only in India, in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, centred on Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. This makes India solely responsible for its survival. Their number has grown steadily through strict protection.
Key Details
- 16th Lion Population Estimation (May 2025): 891 lions, up 32.2% from 674 in 2020.
- Counted across about 35,000 sq km in 11 districts of Gujarat; about 384 in Gir and 507 outside it.
- New satellite groups include Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (near Porbandar), with 17 lions, the first there since 1879.
- Project Lion was announced on 15 August 2020 for long-term lion conservation.
- Status: Endangered on the IUCN Red List (Asiatic population); Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; CITES Appendix I.
- In 2013, the Supreme Court ordered that some lions be moved to Kuno (Madhya Pradesh) to create a second home, since a single population is at risk from disease or disaster.
The Living Planet Report highlights the rise of Asiatic lions from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025 as one of India's conservation successes. As lions spread beyond Gir, conflict with farmers and livestock owners also becomes a bigger challenge.
- Living Planet Report 2026 (WWF with ZSL), released 8 October 2026
- Average decline in monitored wildlife populations: 73% (1970 to 2022)
- Species covered: 5,790 vertebrate species (about 35,800 populations)
- Declines by habitat: freshwater 85%, terrestrial 69%, marine 59%; Asia-Pacific 49%
- India: tigers 3,682 (2022); greater one-horned rhinos over 3,300; common leopards 13,874; Asiatic lions 891 (2025); snow leopards 718; Ganges river dolphins 6,324
- Ganges river dolphin survey: 2021 to 2023, 8,507 km of 28 rivers
- India has 58 tiger reserves; Project Tiger began 1 April 1973 with 9 reserves
- Top global threat: habitat loss and degradation