IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It uses a set of quantitative criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species. These criteria are relevant to most species and all regions of the world. With its strong scientific base, The IUCN Red List is recognized as the most authoritative guide to the status of biological diversity.

 

At a glance

IUCN Red List, a global authority Photo: Angadachappa / CC4.0 The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species TM is a critical indicator Photo: Frank Vaseen / CC2.0 IUCN Photo: IUCN IUCN Photo: IUCN

 

98,500 +
species assessed

27,000 +
threatened species

160,000 target 
species assessed by 2020

 

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The IUCN Red List in a nutshell

 

A global authority

The IUCN Red List assesses the conservation status of species at a global level, drawing on expert knowledge from around the world.

Who uses the Red List?

The IUCN Red List is used by institutional, business and community users such as:

  • national and international government agencies
  • wildlife departments
  • conservation-related non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
  • natural resource planners
  • educational organisations
  • zoos and aquariums
  • students
  • media
  • the business community 

 

How is the Red List used ?

IUCN Red List data are used for a variety of purposes:

  • International agreements use IUCN Red List data to guide decision making and as an indicator of the status of nature. These include, but are not limited to agreements such as CITES, the Ramsar Convention, UN Sustainable Development Goals and CBD Aichi Targets
  • World Bank Group Performance Standard PS6 uses The IUCN Red List Index to minimise the risk to biodiversity from large-scale infrastructure and natural resource extraction projects
  • Government agencies rely on IUCN Red List data to guide policies such as National Parks regulations
  • Zoos use The IUCN Red List Categories to educate the public about species' status
  • Scientists use IUCN Red List data as a primary data source in their analyses and publications
  • Teachers and students use IUCN Red List data in college projects
  • Journalists use IUCN Red List data to inform their articles

 

The IUCN Red List is a key indicator for the SDGs and Aichi Targets

SDG Goal 15 and CBD Photo: United Nations / CBD

Data from The IUCN Red List are used as indicators for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 15: Life on Land.

The IUCN Red List Index is used by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to monitor progress towards achieving the Aichi Targets.

 

 

The IUCN Red List Partnership

The IUCN Red List is produced by the Red List Partnership, currently: Arizona State University, BirdLife International, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Conservation International, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), NatureServe, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Sapienza University of Rome, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Texas A&M University, and Zoological Society of London.

Learn more about the experts and browse the  IUCN SSC Specialist Groups directory 

 

 

The IUCN Red List Categories

Endangered category - Red List of Threatened Species TM Photo: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

The IUCN Red List Categories define the extinction risk of species assessed. Nine categories extend from NE (Not Evaluated) to EX (Extinct).

Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be threatened with extinction.

Read more about the  Red List Categories and Criteria 

 

The Red List Index

The IUCN Red List Index (RLI) provides a clearer view of real trends within different taxonomic groups, and for biodiversity as a whole.

 

The IUCN Red List Index (RLI) of species survival for mammals, birds, amphibians, reef-forming corals and cycads. Photo: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ The RLI is available for groups in which all species have been assessed at least twice. Currently, the Index is available for five groups : birds, mammals, amphibians, corals and cycads.

The RLI clearly demonstrates that the status of these five major groups continues to decline.
Read more about the  Red List Index 

 

A critical indicator

The IUCN Red List is an authoritative indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. 

Far more than a list of species and their status

  • a powerful tool to inform and catalyse action for biodiversity conservation and policy change,
  • critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive. 
  • provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats,
  • provides information about conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions. 

We welcome your support

The IUCN Red List aims to assess 160,000 species by 2020 and relies on donations to fund the assessment and re-assessment of species.


  Download the Red List brochure

  Donate

 

 

Key support

A key partnership with Toyota Motor Corporation established in 2016 is helping us achieve our 2020 target.

Contact us and see how you can get involved !

Publications

See more IUCN Red List publications and IUCN Red List assessments in the IUCN online Library.

Latest press releases

  • Photo: Aqqa Rosing-Asvid (CC BY 2.0)

    Fin Whale, Mountain Gorilla recovering thanks to conservation action – IUCN Red List

    14.11.2018

    Gland, Switzerland, 14 November 2018 (IUCN) – Conservation action has brought renewed hope for the Fin Whale and the Mountain Gorilla, according to today’s update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Fin Whale has improved in status from Endangered to Vulnerable following bans on whaling, while the Mountain Gorilla subspecies has moved from Critically Endangered to Endangered thanks to collaborative conservation efforts.

  • © Stewart MacDonald Photo: © Stewart MacDonald

    Australia’s reptiles threatened by invasive species, climate change – IUCN Red List

    05.07.2018

    Gland, Switzerland, 5 July 2018 (IUCN) – Australia’s unique reptiles – including lizards and snakes – face severe threats from invasive species and climate change, with 7% of them threatened with extinction, reveals the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, published today. The Mauritian Flying Fox, an important pollinator, is now listed as Endangered due to a culling campaign, today’s update also reveals. There is some good news after the rediscovery of four South American amphibian species previously thought to be extinct.

  • Wild Wheat: Triticum turgidum Photo: Barbara Ender Jone

    Unsustainable food systems threaten wild crop and dolphin species – IUCN Red List

    05.12.2017

    Tokyo, Japan, 5 December 2017 (IUCN) – Species of wild rice, wheat and yam are threatened by overly intensive agricultural production and urban expansion, whilst poor fishing practices have caused steep declines in the Irrawaddy Dolphin and Finless Porpoise, according to the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Today’s Red List update also reveals that a drying climate is pushing the Ringtail Possum to the brink of extinction.

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