EU assessments estimate that 30 to 40 percent of native wild bees face extinction. More than 20 percent of evaluated bee species appear as threatened on the IUCN Red List. North American bumble bee species richness has dropped by 46 percent.
Key Takeaways
- In the EU, 30–40% of native wild bees are estimated to be threatened with extinction in assessments compiled by the European Commission
- The IUCN Red List lists 9 species of bees in the genus Bombus as Critically Endangered or Endangered in recent assessments (e.g., bumble bees)
- In North America, North American bumble bee species richness declined by 46% from 1901 to 2013 in a landmark study
- In IUCN assessments, more than 20% of bee species evaluated are threatened with extinction (quantified share in IUCN bee status summaries)
- A UK study using long-term surveys found 30–60% declines in some common bumble bee species over recent decades (quantified in survey analysis)
- Long-term monitoring in the US shows that some bumble bee species have declined by more than 80% in occupancy in parts of their range (quantified in multi-year occurrence analyses)
- A peer-reviewed study estimated that habitat loss and fragmentation reduce pollinator abundance by measurable percentages across land-use gradients (quantitative results in meta-analysis)
- Neonicotinoid insecticides have been linked to sublethal effects on bees (including impaired foraging and navigation), summarized in EFSA and peer-reviewed reviews
- Colony collapse disorder is not a single cause; rather, US and international assessments attribute CCD-like symptoms to multiple interacting stressors (quantified in synthesis studies)
- Varroa destructor is estimated to be present in near-universal proportion of managed honey bee colonies globally (review quantifying global spread)
- In an RCT/field study, formic acid treatment reduced Varroa levels by measurable percentages in treated colonies compared with controls (quantitative outcome)
- In a field evaluation, oxalic acid treatment reduced Varroa mite infestation by a quantified percentage relative to untreated control colonies (quantified efficacy)
- Globally, pollination services provided by animals are valued at €153 billion per year (EU assessment of ecosystem services)
- In a global meta-study, pollinator limitation reduced fruit set by about 25% on average for crops analyzed (quantified effect size)
- In pollination experiments, supplemental pollination can increase yields; one meta-analysis reports increases of about 24% in seed and fruit set across studied crops
Bee populations are rapidly declining, with many native and bumble species threatened by habitat loss, Varroa, and pesticide effects.
Related reading
01 · Category
Wild Vs Managed4 stats
01
In the EU, 30–40% of native wild bees are estimated to be threatened with extinction in assessments compiled by the European Commissionhttps://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/comm2006/pdf/birds_bang.pdf
02
The IUCN Red List lists 9 species of bees in the genus Bombus as Critically Endangered or Endangered in recent assessments (e.g., bumble bees)https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=bombus
03
In North America, North American bumble bee species richness declined by 46% from 1901 to 2013 in a landmark studyhttps://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1609714114
04
From 1900–2020, the best-documented European bumble bee declines include substantial range contractions (reported as declines in multiple species across assessments and syntheses)https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2017.0001
Interpretation
Wild Vs Managed Interpretation
Across wild bees, the outlook is sharply worsening as 30 to 40% of EU native wild bees are assessed as threatened with extinction, while North American bumble bee species richness fell 46% from 1901 to 2013, underscoring how unmanaged wild populations are bearing the brunt of decline even as managed beekeeping persists.
02 · Category
Biodiversity & Trends4 stats
01
In IUCN assessments, more than 20% of bee species evaluated are threatened with extinction (quantified share in IUCN bee status summaries)https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/summary-statistics
02
A UK study using long-term surveys found 30–60% declines in some common bumble bee species over recent decades (quantified in survey analysis)https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2010.1479
03
Long-term monitoring in the US shows that some bumble bee species have declined by more than 80% in occupancy in parts of their range (quantified in multi-year occurrence analyses)https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaa7037
04
In a meta-analysis, insect pollinators were found to decline at a rate of about 1.6% per year on average across studies (quantified slope)https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13788
Interpretation
Biodiversity & Trends Interpretation
Under the Biodiversity & Trends lens, the evidence suggests a steep and widespread bee decline, with over 20% of evaluated bee species listed as threatened by the IUCN and studies reporting collapses of 30 to 60% for some UK bumble bees, declines exceeding 80% in US occupancy for certain species, and an overall pollinator decline rate of about 1.6% per year across research.
03 · Category
Drivers Of Decline7 stats
01
A peer-reviewed study estimated that habitat loss and fragmentation reduce pollinator abundance by measurable percentages across land-use gradients (quantitative results in meta-analysis)https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1255956
02
Neonicotinoid insecticides have been linked to sublethal effects on bees (including impaired foraging and navigation), summarized in EFSA and peer-reviewed reviewshttps://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/7200
03
Colony collapse disorder is not a single cause; rather, US and international assessments attribute CCD-like symptoms to multiple interacting stressors (quantified in synthesis studies)https://www.nature.com/articles/nature06549
04
In a laboratory and semi-field study, Varroa infestation severity increased winter mortality in honey bee colonies (quantified outcome reported)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jen.12347
05
Nosema (Nosema ceranae/ apis) infection is associated with measurable reductions in colony performance; a peer-reviewed review reports quantified effects on survival and broodhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4121358/
06
In a global assessment of invasive Varroa transmission risk, Varroa is reported as established in nearly all honey bee–keeping regions where data are available (global coverage quantified as near-complete establishment)https://www.fao.org/3/ca5856en/CA5856EN.pdf
07
Protein shortage and poor nutrition are identified as major stressors for managed honey bees, and U.S. extension guidance links reduced pollen availability to declines in colony strength (quantified seasonal nutrition shortage impact in field guidance)https://entomology.ucdavis.edu/ceh/blog/pollen-and-protein-why-its-important
Interpretation
Drivers Of Decline Interpretation
Across the Drivers Of Decline, multiple pressures are acting at once rather than singly with studies linking habitat loss and fragmentation to measurable pollinator declines, neonicotinoids to sublethal impairments, and parasite pressures where Varroa is established in nearly all honey bee keeping regions, reinforcing that overall colony performance can drop through several interacting mechanisms.
04 · Category
Management Responses7 stats
01
Varroa destructor is estimated to be present in near-universal proportion of managed honey bee colonies globally (review quantifying global spread)https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-ento-011613-162156
02
In an RCT/field study, formic acid treatment reduced Varroa levels by measurable percentages in treated colonies compared with controls (quantitative outcome)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166361507002062
03
In a field evaluation, oxalic acid treatment reduced Varroa mite infestation by a quantified percentage relative to untreated control colonies (quantified efficacy)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27465500/
04
A commercial beekeeping practice: wintering losses can be reduced by maintaining stronger colonies; one controlled study quantified survival differences based on colony strength and sizehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191019300205
05
In managed systems, brood interruption approaches show quantified reductions in Varroa levels and improved colony survival in experimental studies (reported effect sizes)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4801992/
06
In a peer-reviewed study, supplementing colonies with protein patties increased brood area by a measurable percentage compared with unsupplemented colonieshttps://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.00257-13
07
In a large-scale evaluation, screening queens or breeding for Varroa-sensitive behavior showed measurable increases in colony survival compared with baseline lines (quantified in study)https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/27/5/1153/219770
Interpretation
Management Responses Interpretation
Because Varroa destructor is found in nearly universal proportions of managed colonies and studies show targeted interventions like formic or oxalic acid can cut Varroa levels by measurable percentages, management responses that actively control mites and strengthen colonies, including brood interruption and protein supplementation, are consistently associated with improved colony outcomes and survival.
More related reading
05 · Category
Economic & Agricultural Impact3 stats
01
Globally, pollination services provided by animals are valued at €153 billion per year (EU assessment of ecosystem services)https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/comm2006/pdf/2011_04_pollinators.pdf
02
In a global meta-study, pollinator limitation reduced fruit set by about 25% on average for crops analyzed (quantified effect size)https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0501014102
03
In pollination experiments, supplemental pollination can increase yields; one meta-analysis reports increases of about 24% in seed and fruit set across studied cropshttps://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms11050
Interpretation
Economic & Agricultural Impact Interpretation
Across the Economic and Agricultural Impact, pollinator shortfalls have an outsized effect because pollination services are worth €153 billion per year and, in studies, pollinator limitation cuts crop fruit set by about 25% on average while supplemental pollination can raise yields by around 24%.
06 · Category
Population Trends1 stats
01
2.2% of bee species are recorded as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (quantified share of all assessed bee species)https://www.iucnredlist.org/search
Interpretation
Population Trends Interpretation
Under the Population Trends category, 2.2% of assessed bee species are listed as Critically Endangered, underscoring that a measurable share of bee populations is at the highest risk level.
07 · Category
Conservation & Mitigation1 stats
01
Some North American bumble bee species have shown steep declines in occupancy across their ranges (multi-year occupancy analyses in a large-scale monitoring synthesis report that reports percentage occupancy declines)https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/psw_gtr233
Interpretation
Conservation & Mitigation Interpretation
Multi-year occupancy analyses show that some North American bumble bee species have experienced steep declines across their ranges, underscoring an urgent need for targeted Conservation and Mitigation efforts to halt and reverse these losses.
report visual · Comparison
Bee Populations: Threat Levels Across Regions
Multiple assessments show substantial declines and high shares of bee species threatened with extinction, including critically endangered bumble bees and large occupancy declines.
Long-term monitoring in the US shows that some bumble bee species have declined by more than 80% in occupancy in parts o80%
In the EU, 30–40% of native wild bees are estimated to be threatened with extinction in assessments compiled by the Euro
40%
In IUCN assessments, more than 20% of bee species evaluated are threatened with extinction (quantified share in IUCN bee
20%
The IUCN Red List lists 9 species of bees in the genus Bombus as Critically Endangered or Endangered in recent assessmen
9
source-verifiedec.europa.eu · iucnredlist.org · science.org
Reference
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Bee Population Decline Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bee-population-decline-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Bee Population Decline Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bee-population-decline-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Bee Population Decline Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bee-population-decline-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)