IUCN Red List version 2016-3: Table 1
Last Updated: 07 December 2016

Table 1: Numbers of threatened species by major groups of organisms (1996–2016)
Changes in number of threatened species from year to year should not be directly interpreted as trends in the status of biodiversity. The figures displayed below reflect increased assessment efforts by IUCN and its Partners over time, rather than genuine changes in numbers of threatened species. For a clearer view of genuine trends in the status of biodiversity please refer to the IUCN Red ListIndex (see the section Trends in the status of biodiversity on the IUCN Red List web site: http://www.iucnredlist.org/about/summary-statistics#TrendsInBiodiversityStatus).

Estimated
Number ofdescribed
species 1

Number of
species
evaluated by
2016 (IUCN
Red Listversion 2016-3)

Number of
threatened
species2 in
1996/98

Number ofthreatened
species2 in
2000

Number ofthreatened
species2 in2002

Number ofthreatened
species2 in2003

Number ofthreatened
species2 in
2004

Number ofthreatened
species2 in2006

Number ofthreatened
species2 in2007

Number ofthreatened
species2 in2008

Number ofthreatened
species2 in2009 (IUCN

Number of
threatened
species2 in2010 (IUCN

Number of
threatened
species2 in2011 (IUCN

Number of
threatened
species2 in2012 (IUCN

Number of
threatened
species2 in2013 (IUCN

Number of
threatened
species2 in2014 (IUCN

Number of
threatened
species2 in2015 (IUCN

Red List
Red List
Red List
Red List
Red List
Red List
Red Listversion 2009.2) version 2010.4) version 2011.2) version 2012.2) version 2013.2) version 2014.3) version 2015.4)

Best estimate of %Number ofLower estimate of %Upper estimate of %Speciesthreatened species
threatened
threatened species
threatened species
evaluatedinin 2016
in 2016
in 2016
species2 in 2016, as % of(number threatened as(number threatened as(number threatened +2016 (IUCN Red% of extant dataspecies
List version
2016-3)

described 2,3% of extant evaluatedspecies)

2,3,4

sufficient evaluatedspecies)

2,3,4

DD as % of extant

evaluated species)

2,3,4

VERTEBRATESMammals 5
Birds
ReptilesAmphibians
FishesSubtotal

5,567
11,121
10,4507,571
33,4005,567
11,121
5,338
6,534
16,134

1,096
1,107
253
124
7341,130
1,183
296
146
752

1,137
1,192
293
157
742

1,130
1,194
293
157
750

1,101
1,213
304
1,770
800

1,093
1,206
341
1,811
1,171

1,094
1,217
422
1,808
1,201

1,141
1,222
423
1,905
1,275

1,142
1,223
469
1,895
1,414

1,131
1,240
594
1,898
1,851

1,138
1,253
772
1,917
2,028

1,139
1,313
807
1,933
2,058

1,143
1,308
879
1,950
2,110

1,199
1,373
927
1,957
2,222

1,197
1,375
944
1,994
2,271

1,194
1,460
1,079
2,068
2,359

100%
100%
51%
86%
48%

68,10944,694

3,314

3,507

3,521

3,524

5,188

5,622

5,742

5,966

6,143

6,714

7,108

7,250

7,390

7,678

7,781

8,160

66%

1,000,000
85,00047,0002,175
102,248165
468,658

6,587
7,276
3,177
862
212
114480537920
407
111609555
938
408
111609557
939
409
111609553
967
409
111909559
974
429
1
11
909623975
459
1119024623
978
460
411
9024626
978606235
189024711
1,036
606
235
189024733
1,288596
235
199024

741
1,673
596
235
19
90
24

829
1,857
596
236
20
90
23

896
1,898
723
235
21
9
0
40

993
1,950
725
235
163
90
65

1,046
1,950
728
237
164
90
67

1,268
1,984
732
237
166
9
1
73

0.7%
9%
7%
40%
0.21%
7%
100%
0.70%

1,305,250

18,609

1,891

1,928

1,932

1,959

1,992

2,102

2,109

2,496

2,639

2,904

3,297

3,570

3,822

4,140

4,201

4,470

1%

16,236
12,0001,052
268,000
6,050
7,104

102
417
1,011
20,652
13
58----142
5,186
-----

80
--1415,390
-----

80
--142
5,492
-----

80
111
304
6,279
-----

80
140
305
7,796
-----

80
139
306
7,865
-----

80
139
321
7,899
0
9

82
139
323
7,904
0
9

82
139
322
7,948
0
9

80
148
371
8,116
0
9

80
163
377
8,527
0
9

76
167
374
8,764
0
9

76
187
399
9,394
0
976
194
400
9,905
0
976
197
400
10,551
0
9

76
217
400
10,941
0
9

0.6%
3%
96%
8%
0.2%
0.8%

310,442

22,253

5,328

5,611

5,714

6,774

8,321

8,390

8,448

8,457

8,500

8,724

9,156

9,390

10,065

10,584

11,233

11,6437%

17,00031,496
3,784

825
15

---------------------

2-----

2-----

21---

2162162162162162
1672164167226721
6

0.05%
0.079%
0.4%

22%
13%
32%

25%
13%
Insufficient coverage
42%

36%
14%
56%

Insufficient coverage

INVERTEBRATES
Insects
Molluscs
Crustaceans6
CoralsArachnids
Velvet Worms
Horseshoe Crabs
OthersSubtotalPLANTS

25%

Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
100%
Insufficient coverage

100%

7Mosses 8
Ferns and Allies 9
Gymnosperms
Flowering Plants
Green Algae
Red Algae 10

10Subtotal

40%

Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
40%
Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage

42%

FUNGI & PROTISTS
Lichens
Mushrooms
Brown Algae 10
Subtotal

52,28048---------

22

3

99999934

1135

34

0.09%

TOTAL

1,736,081

85,604

10,533

11,046

11,167

12,25915,503

16,117

16,30816,92817,291

18,351

19,57020,21921,311

22,41323,25024,307

5%

Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage
Insufficient coverage

NOTES (for rows and columns as indicated by the superscripted numbers):
1. The sources used for the numbers of described species in each taxonomic group are listed below.
2. Threatened species are those listed as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU).
3. Where <80% of species within a group have been evaluated, figures for % threatened species are not provided because there is insufficient coverage for these groups. It is only possible to provide reliable figures for % threatened species for those groups that are completely or almost completely evaluated (e.g., mammals, birds, amphibians and gymnosperms).
4. The percentage of threatened species can be calculated for those groups that are completely or almost completely evaluated (>80% of species evaluated), but the actual number of threatened species is often uncertain because it is not known whether Data Deficient (DD) species are actually threatened or not. Therefore, a range of percentages is provided: lower estimate = % threatened extantspecies (if all DD species are not threatened); best estimate = % threatened extant species (if DD species are equally threatened as data sufficient species); upper estimate = % threatened extant species (if all DD species are threatened). If a single figure is required for reporting purposes, the best estimate figure should be used.
5. The number of described and evaluated mammals excludes domesticated species like sheep (Ovis aries ), goats (Capra hircus ), Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius ), etc.
6. Crustaceans include six classes: Malacostraca (crabs, lobsters, shrimp, woodlice, etc.); Branchiopoda (fairy shrimp, clam shrimp, etc.); Cephalocardia (horseshoe shrimp); Ostracoda (seed shrimp); Maxillopoda (barnacles, copepods, etc.); and Remipedia (remipedes)
7. The plant numbers DO NOT include species from the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants (Walter and Gillett 1998) as those were all assessed using the pre-1994 IUCN system of threat categorization. Hence the numbers of of threatened plants are very much lower when compared to the 1997 results. The results from this Red List and the 1997 Plants Red List should be combined
together when reporting on threatened plants.
8. Mosses include the true mosses (Bryophyta), the hornworts (Anthoceratophyta), and liverworts (Marchantiophyta).
9. The ferns and allies include club mosses and spike mosses (Lycopodiopsida), quillworts (Isoetopsida), horsetails (Equisetopsida) and ferns (Marattiopsida, Polypodiopsida and Psilotopsida).
10. Seaweeds are included in the green algae (Chlorophyta, Charophyta), red algae (Rhodophyta), and brown algae (Ochrophyta or Heterokontophyta).

Sources for Numbers of Described Species:
Vertebrates
Mammals – Largely from Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds). 2005. Mammal Species of the World, 3rd Edition. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore (available at http://vertebrates.si.edu/msw/mswCFApp/msw/index.cfm). But there are some deviations, especially in cases where there are alternative taxonomic treatments; in such cases the Global Mammal Assessment coordinating teamworking with the relevant IUCN SSC Specialist Group advise on which treatment to follow. A number of differences and deviations are also based on new revisions and published papers that have appeared since the accounts in Wilson and Reeder (2005) were published. There are a number of recently described species which are currently under review and hence these are not included in thenumbers cited here.

Birds – BirdLife International. 2016. The BirdLife checklist of the birds of the world, with conservation status and taxonomic sources. Version 9 (December 2016). Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/taxonomy. Accessed: 07 December 2016.
Reptiles – Based on the figures (as of 20 August 2016) provided by The Reptile Database compiled by Peter Uetz and Jirí Hošek. Available at: http://www.reptile-database.org. Accessed: 29 November 2016.
Amphibians – Frost, D.R. 2016. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 (29 November, 2016). Electronic Database accessible at: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Accessed: 29 November 2016.
Fishes – Based on Froese, R. and Pauly, D. (eds). 2016. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (10/2016). Accessed: 29 November 2016.

Invertebrates
Insects – Estimates of the number of insects in the world vary from about 720,000 to more than 1 million, but the most reasonable mid-point figure appears to be about 1 million (see discussion in Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition . Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-02-groups-invertebrates.html#insecta. Accessed 17 June 2012).
Crustaceans – The estimated number of described species of Crustacea in the world varies from 25,000 to 68,171 but the best estimate is 47,000 (see discussion in Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/speciesnumbers/2009/04-02-groups-invertebrates.html#crustacea. Accessed 17 June 2012).
Molluscs – The estimated number of described mollusc species ranges from 50,000 to 120,000. The best estimate by Chapman (2009) appears to be about 85,000 species. (For further discussion on the numbers of molluscs, see Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-02-groups-invertebrates.html#mollusca. Accessed 17 June 2012).
Corals – Corals fall under the Phylum Cnidaria and are primarily in the Class Anthozoa, although there are some in the Class Hydrozoa. The number of described species reported here are for species typically regarded as 'corals' and are largely based on Spalding et al . (2001) (Alcyonarian corals); and Cairns (1999) (Scleractinian corals). The remainder of the cnidarians, anemones, jellyfish, etc.,
are treated under 'Others'.
Arachnids (spiders, scorpions, etc) – Estimates of the number of described arachnids vary from 60,000 to 102,248, the latter is from Chapman (2009) and is calculated from a breakdown of the numbers by Order and appears to be the best figure to use (see discussion in Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources
Study, Canberra. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-02-groups-invertebrates.html#arachnida. Accessed 17 June 2012).
Velvet Worms – The number of described species of Onychophora (velvet worms) would appear to be around 165 (for further details see discussion in Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/0402-groups-invertebrates.html#onychophora. Accessed 17 June 2012).
Horseshoe Crabs – Horseshoe crabs are placed on the Red List under the traditional class "Merostomata" which excludes the fossil sea scorpions; only four species are extant today (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merostomata for further details).
Others – This is a miscellaneous group of invertebrate species that have been assessed for the IUCN Red List. The total number of described species is based on the estimated totals for the following groups from which the assessed species come: Annelida - segmented worms (16,763), Cnidaria - anemones, jellyfish, etc. but excluding the corals which are treated separately (7,620), Echinodermata-starfish (7,003 species), Myriapoda - centipedes and millipedes (16,072), Nemertina - ribbon worms (1,200), and Platyhelminthes - flat worms (20,000). (For further details on the numbers in these groups see: Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-02-groups-invertebrates.html. Accessed 17 June 2012).

Plants
Mosses – Based on information provided by Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-03-groups-plants.html#bryophyta. Accessed 17 June 2012.
Ferns and allies – Based on information provided by Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-03-groups-plants.html#ferns. Accessed 17 June 2012.
Gymnosperms – Cycads based on Osborne et al . in press (in Haynes 2009); conifers based on Farjon (2010); Ephedraceae and Gnetaceae based on Govaerts (2010); others based on Mabberley (2008) and Chapman (2009). (For further discussion see Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.
Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-03-groups-plants.html#gymnosperms. Accessed 17 June 2012).
Flowering Plants (Magnoliophyta = Magnoliopsida+Liliopsida) – The number of described species ranges from 223,300 to 315,903. The number used here is based on Chapman (2009). For alternative views on the numbers of seed plant species see Mabberley (1997), Schmid (1998), Govaerts (2001, 2003), Bramwell (2002), Thorne (2002), Scotland and Wortley (2003), Paton et al . (2008),Kier et al . (2009), and Joppa et al . (2010). (For further discussion see Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/04-03-groups-plants.html#magnoliophyta. Accessed 17 June 2012).

Fungi & Protists
Lichens - The figure of 10,000 from Groombridge and Jenkins (2002) appears to be too low, so the number described is now based on information provided by Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/speciesnumbers/2009/04-04-groups-fungi.html#lichen. Accessed 02 September 2010.
Mushrooms - Number of mushroom-forming fungi (=Basidiomycota excluding the 7 lichenised species) based on Kirk et al . (2008) (for discussion see Chapman, A.D. 2009 . Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd edition. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/0404-groups-fungi.html#fungi. Accessed 02 September 2010).
Green (Chlorophyta), Red (Rhodophyta) and Brown (Ochrophyta or Heterokontophyta) Algae – From Guiry, M.D. and Guiry, G.M. 2015. AlgaeBase . World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org. Accessed on 12 June 2015.