Living Planet Report 2018

The Living Planet Report 2018 documents a severe global decline in biodiversity, highlighted by a 60% drop in vertebrate populations since 1970. It identifies overexploitation and agriculture, driven by runaway human consumption, as the primary threats. The report emphasizes that nature provides essential services worth approximately US$125 trillion annually and calls for an ambitious international agreement to 'bend the curve' of biodiversity loss through a roadmap of clear goals, measurable indicators, and transformative actions.

• The Living Planet Index indicates a 60% average decline in global vertebrate population sizes between 1970 and 2014.
• Biodiversity loss is most severe in the tropics, with the Neotropical realm (South and Central America and the Caribbean) experiencing an 89% decline since 1970.
• Freshwater species have suffered a catastrophic decline, with the Freshwater Living Planet Index showing an 83% drop since 1970.
• Overexploitation and agriculture are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss; 75% of plant, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal species extinct since AD 1500 were harmed by one or both of these factors.
• Human consumption of natural resources has increased by approximately 190% over the last 50 years, far outpacing the 27% increase in the Earth's biocapacity.
• Land degradation is pervasive, with only 25% of Earth's land currently free from human impact, a figure projected to fall to 10% by 2050.
• Marine ecosystems are in steep decline, with the world losing about half of its shallow water corals in 30 years; up to 90% could be gone by 2050.
• Nature provides essential global services estimated to be worth approximately US$125 trillion per year.
• Current species extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times higher than the natural background rate.
• The report advocates for a 'global deal for nature and people' to move beyond 'managed decline' and restore biodiversity abundance by 2050.

APA

WWF International (2018). Living Planet Report 2018. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/612/pff74ng76_LPR2018_Full_Report_Spreads.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Living Planet Report 2018. 2018. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/612/pff74ng76_LPR2018_Full_Report_Spreads.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Living Planet Report 2018 |date=2018 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/612/pff74ng76_LPR2018_Full_Report_Spreads.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2018living, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Living Planet Report 2018}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2018}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/612/pff74ng76_LPR2018_Full_Report_Spreads.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }