More than 41,000 species are now threatened with extinction. Habitat loss and overexploitation continue to drive steep population declines across the globe.
Key Takeaways
- Reintroduction of 22 California condors in 1987 has grown to 537 total, 337 wild.
- The Amazon covers 40% of global tropical rainforest and hosts 10% of known biodiversity, but 17% deforested since 1970.
- As of 2023 IUCN assessment, 45,307 species are on the Red List, with 42% of all assessed species threatened.
- As of 2023, the global population of the Vaquita porpoise is estimated at fewer than 10 individuals, down from around 600 in 1997, primarily due to illegal gillnet fishing in the Gulf of California.
- Habitat destruction from agriculture accounts for 70% of the decline in 60% of threatened mammal species worldwide.
Around 1 in 8 species now faces extinction, highlighting urgent threats to biodiversity worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Conservation Successes27 stats
01
Reintroduction of 22 California condors in 1987 has grown to 537 total, 337 wild.
02
Black-footed ferret captive breeding released 6,000+ since 1991, 370 wild now.
03
Giant panda downgraded from endangered to vulnerable in 2016 due to 17% population increase to 1,864.
04
American bald eagle recovered from 417 pairs in 1963 to 316,000+ today via DDT ban.
05
Przewalski's horse reintroduced to Mongolia, now 2,000 wild from captivity.
06
Kakapo parrot intensive management raised from 51 in 1995 to 252 in 2023.
07
Markhor population increased 75% since 1980s hunting bans in Pakistan to 2,500+.
08
Arabian oryx reintroduced after extinction in wild, now 1,000+ in Oman reserves.
09
Channel Island fox delisted in 2016 after captive breeding saved from 99% decline.
10
Red kite in UK from 1 pair in 1903 to 10,000+ via reintroduction.
11
Saiga antelope rebounded from 48,000 in 2005 to 1.3M in 2020 via disease management.
12
Humpback whales increased 20-fold since 1966 whaling moratorium to 80,000+.
13
Puerto Rican parrot from 13 in 1968 to 300+ wild via aviary breeding.
14
Whooping crane from 16 in 1941 to 803 total, 110 wild non-migratory.
15
Snow leopard surveys show 20% increase in Bhutan protected areas since 2016.
16
Virginia northern flying squirrel delisted in 2013 after habitat restoration.
17
Brown pelican delisted in 2009 after DDT ban and oil spill response.
18
Golden lion tamarin from 200 in 1980s to 1,400+ wild in Brazil fragments.
19
European bison reintroduced to 7,500 wild from near extinction.
20
Kihansi spray toad captive breeding aims for reintroduction after wild extinction.
21
Mauritius kestrel from 4 in 1974 to 800+ today via island management.
22
California red-legged frog habitat restoration aided 20% population growth.
23
Bongo antelope captive programs support wild populations in West Africa.
24
Pink pigeon Mauritius increased from 10 to 400+ via predator control.
25
Maned wolf in Brazil benefited from road underpasses reducing mortality 40%.
26
Captive breeding of Partula snails reintroduced 10 species to French Polynesia.
27
Sonoran pronghorn increased from 21 in 2002 to 200+ via water projects.
Interpretation
Conservation Successes Interpretation
For all our self-inflicted wounds, these stories prove that when we finally decide to play doctor instead than destroyer, nature's resilience—and our own clumsy, costly, but determined efforts—can write a second act.
02 · Category
Geographic Ranges25 stats
01
The Amazon covers 40% of global tropical rainforest and hosts 10% of known biodiversity, but 17% deforested since 1970.
02
Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot, has 90% endemic species but only 10% primary forest remaining.
03
The Coral Triangle spans 6 countries with 76% of world's coral species and 2,228 reef fish species.
04
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, 2,300 km long, supports 1,500 fish species but lost 50% corals since 1950.
05
The Congo Basin rainforest, second largest, harbors 10,000 plant species, 1,000 birds, 400 mammals.
06
Hawaii has 10,000 endemic species, but 40% of US endangered species are there due to isolation.
07
The Cape Floristic Region in South Africa has 9,000 plant species, 70% endemic, in 0.04% land area.
08
Indo-Burma hotspot spans 8 countries with 13,500 plants, 25% threatened, covering 2.3M km².
09
The Atlantic Forest in Brazil, now 12% original cover, hosts 20,000 plant species, 40% endemic.
10
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, have 2,900 species, 50% endemic, but invasive species threaten 50+.
11
The Sundarbans mangroves, India/Bangladesh, cover 10,000 km² with Bengal tiger habitat.
12
California Floristic Province has 8,000 plants, 2,400 endemic, in fire-prone chaparral.
13
New Caledonia nickel-rich soils host 3,400 plants, 75% endemic, many nickel hyperaccumulators.
14
The Chocó-Darién-Western Ecuador wet forests have 11,000 plants, 2,500 endemic birds/mammals.
15
Wallacea region, Indonesia, transitional zone with 15,000 plants, high marsupial-bird diversity.
16
Polynesia-Micronesia hotspot has 5,300 plants, 52% endemic, across 4.9M km² ocean.
17
The Himalaya hotspot spans 8 countries with 10,000 plants, 3,000 endemic, 316 mammals.
18
Mesoamerica forests from Mexico to Panama host 17,000 plants, 8% global birds.
19
Succulent Karoo, South Africa/Namibia, has 6,300 plants, 40% endemic in desert.
20
Tumbesian region, Peru/Ecuador, dry forests with 600 birds, 30% endemic.
21
Caucasus-Anatolian highlands have 6,500 plants, 25% endemic, bears/wolves.
22
The Pantanal wetland, Brazil, largest in world at 150,000 km², 650 birds.
23
Southwest Australia banksia woodlands, 1,500 plants, 60% endemic shrubs.
24
Caribbean Islands hotspot, 11,000 plants, 7,000 endemic, 700 birds.
25
Irrawaddy River delta mangroves support Irrawaddy dolphins in Myanmar.
Interpretation
Geographic Ranges Interpretation
We are meticulously documenting the end of our world's most spectacular masterpieces, converting paradise into an inventory of loss.
03 · Category
IUCN Red List Status25 stats
01
As of 2023 IUCN assessment, 45,307 species are on the Red List, with 42% of all assessed species threatened.
02
41% of amphibians (8,011 species assessed) are threatened with extinction globally.
03
26% of mammals (6,495 species) are threatened, including all big cats as vulnerable or worse.
04
14% of birds (11,849 species) are threatened, with 182 critically endangered.
05
37% of sharks and rays (1,199 species) are threatened due to overfishing.
06
39% of assessed conifers (518 species) are threatened, highest among plant groups.
07
28% of reef-building corals (907 species) are threatened by climate change.
08
All 25 hylobatid gibbon species are listed as endangered or critically endangered.
09
17% of freshwater fishes (4,330 species assessed) are threatened.
10
85% of cycads (354 species) are threatened, making them the most endangered plant group.
11
The ivory-billed woodpecker is critically endangered, possibly extinct, with no confirmed sightings since 1944.
12
21% of reptiles (10,196 species) are threatened, with 296 critically endangered.
13
All seven sea turtle species are classified as endangered or critically endangered.
14
34% of assessed flowering plants (27,000+ species) are threatened.
15
The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered with fewer than 80 individuals.
16
50% of primates (504 species) are threatened, highest proportion among mammals.
17
The European hamster is critically endangered due to agricultural intensification.
18
23% of assessed molluscs (9,457 species) are threatened.
19
All 8 bear species are threatened except the giant panda now vulnerable.
20
The kagu is endangered with an extremely small population on New Caledonia.
21
44% of assessed dragonflies (6,679 species) are threatened.
22
The saola remains critically endangered since its 1992 discovery.
23
31% of assessed cacti (1,978 species) are threatened.
24
The Caribbean monk seal is extinct, one of 46 species lost since 1500.
25
Over 50% of Madagascar's endemic reptiles (over 400 species) are threatened.
Interpretation
IUCN Red List Status Interpretation
The grim tally of vanishing life is a testament to our era: with 42% of all assessed species now threatened, the planet's web of life is fraying catastrophically at nearly every thread, from half of all primates to the silent forests missing their woodpeckers.
More related reading
04 · Category
Population Decline30 stats
01
As of 2023, the global population of the Vaquita porpoise is estimated at fewer than 10 individuals, down from around 600 in 1997, primarily due to illegal gillnet fishing in the Gulf of California.
02
The Javan rhino population stands at just 72 individuals confined to Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia as of the latest 2023 census.
03
Only 26 mature Amur leopards remain in the wild across Russia and China, a 75% decline since the 1970s due to poaching and habitat fragmentation.
04
The Yangtze finless porpoise numbers approximately 1,010 individuals in 2023, reduced by 50% in the last decade from vessel strikes and pollution.
05
Saola, a bovine species in Vietnam and Laos, has an estimated wild population of fewer than 100, with no confirmed sightings since 2013.
06
The wild population of the Sumatran orangutan is around 14,000 as of 2022, having declined by over 80% in the past 75 years due to palm oil plantations.
07
Cross River gorillas number fewer than 300 individuals scattered in fragmented forests of Nigeria and Cameroon in 2023.
08
The hirola antelope in Kenya and Somalia has only about 500 individuals left, down from tens of thousands a century ago.
09
Kakapo parrots in New Zealand total 252 individuals as of 2023, with intensive management preventing further decline from predation.
10
The black-footed ferret in North America has around 370 individuals in the wild as of 2023, rebounding from near extinction in the 1980s.
11
Gooty tarantula (Pococki) population is estimated at under 1,000 mature individuals in fragmented habitats of India and Sri Lanka.
12
The wild Bactrian camel in Mongolia and China numbers about 950, threatened by mining and illegal hunting.
13
Addax antelope in Chad has fewer than 500 individuals, with 90% decline in the last three generations from poaching.
14
The population of the Philippine eagle is approximately 400 pairs, reduced by logging and hunting in the last 50 years.
15
Markhor goats in Pakistan and Central Asia total around 2,500 mature individuals, up slightly from 1980s lows due to hunting bans.
16
The vaquita's population has declined by 99% since 1997, with acoustic surveys detecting only 6-8 in 2023.
17
Hawksbill sea turtle nests have decreased by 80% in key sites like the Caribbean over the past 50 years.
18
The axolotl salamander in Mexico's Xochimilco lakes has declined by over 90% in 20 years due to urbanization.
19
Wild coffee plants (Coffea spp.) have seen 60% population loss in Ethiopia due to climate change and deforestation.
20
The gharial crocodile in India and Nepal numbers under 650 breeding adults in 2023.
21
Tonkin snub-nosed monkey population is estimated at 200 individuals in Vietnam's karst forests.
22
The number of mature hawksbill turtles has declined by 87% in the Indian Ocean over three generations.
23
Kagu birds in New Caledonia total fewer than 600 individuals due to introduced predators.
24
The wild population of Przewalski's horse is around 2,000, recovered from extinction in the wild in 1969.
25
Yangtze giant softshell turtle has only 3 known individuals left worldwide as of 2023.
26
The Socorro dove population is under 150 birds on Socorro Island, Mexico.
27
Red wolf population in the US is about 20 in the wild, down from higher numbers post-reintroduction.
28
The Attwater's prairie-chicken numbers around 1,000 individuals in Texas coastal prairies.
29
Wild ass (kiang) in Tibet has declined by 50% in some areas due to competition with livestock.
30
The population of the Sumatran tiger is estimated at 400-500 individuals in fragmented habitats.
Interpretation
Population Decline Interpretation
This sobering roster of our planet's most critically endangered species reads like a cosmic game of Jenga where every block pulled is a tragedy of our own making, and the tower is now teetering with an almost audible groan.
05 · Category
Primary Threats23 stats
01
Habitat destruction from agriculture accounts for 70% of the decline in 60% of threatened mammal species worldwide.
02
Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade threatens 35% of critically endangered species, with ivory demand driving elephant declines.
03
Climate change is the primary threat to 41% of endangered plants in the US, altering flowering times and habitats.
04
Invasive species cause 42% of extinctions in the US, predating or competing with natives like in Hawaii.
05
Overfishing has led to 33% of global shark and ray species being threatened, with 37 critically endangered.
06
Deforestation rates in the Amazon have caused a 20% loss of habitat for 1,300 threatened species since 1985.
07
Pollution from plastics affects 60% of marine species, with entanglement killing 100,000 marine mammals annually.
08
Disease outbreaks, like chytrid fungus, have caused 90 species of amphibians to go extinct since 1980.
09
Illegal logging threatens 20% of all threatened tree species globally, particularly in Southeast Asia.
10
Urban expansion has fragmented habitats for 25% of endangered birds in the Americas.
11
Bycatch in fisheries kills over 300,000 cetaceans yearly, threatening vaquita and dolphins.
12
Droughts linked to climate change have increased mortality by 30% in koala populations in Australia.
13
Rodenticide poisoning via prey affects 70% of California condor deaths post-reintroduction.
14
Coral bleaching from ocean warming has killed 14% of the world's reefs since 2009, impacting dependent species.
15
Hydropower dams fragment habitats for 25% of Southeast Asian freshwater fish species.
16
Oil spills and runoff pollute 40% of critical habitats for shorebirds in the Gulf of Mexico.
17
Trophy hunting contributes to 15% of population declines in large African carnivores.
18
Agricultural pesticides have caused 50% bee species decline in North America over 50 years.
19
Roadkill accounts for 20% of amphibian mortality in urbanizing areas worldwide.
20
Mining activities have destroyed 10% of habitats for 500 threatened species in the Andes.
21
Wind farm collisions kill 500,000 to 1 million bats annually in the US.
22
Invasive plants outcompete natives, affecting 30% of endangered Pacific island endemics.
23
Overgrazing by livestock reduces forage for 40% of desert tortoise populations in the US Southwest.
Interpretation
Primary Threats Interpretation
Humanity's signature on the planet appears to be a multi-pronged attack, where our pursuits in food, comfort, and profit are systematically dismantling the natural world, species by species, from the treetops to the ocean floor.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Endangered Species Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/endangered-species-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Endangered Species Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/endangered-species-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Endangered Species Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/endangered-species-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level