DoubleChecks

What was claimed

We are losing biodiversity at a rate unparalleled in human history; global wildlife populations have sunk over 60% since 1970.

Our verdict

Accurate

Multiple recent WWF/Living Planet sources report declines well above 60% since 1970, including 69% in 2022 and 73% in the latest report. So the statement is broadly correct, though less precise than the latest headline figure.

2 of 3 AI systems agree15 sources citedChecked Jul 30, 2026

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Key findings

Global wildlife populations have sunk over 60% since 1970.

Verified94%
All 3 AIs agree

We are losing biodiversity at a rate unparalleled in human history.

Verified95%
2 of 3 AIs agree·Perplexity: Can’t verify

Verified against 15 sources

wwf.euourworldindata.orgwwf.org.uknhm.ac.ukworldwildlife.orgweforum.orgcbc.cabbc.comweforum.orgtheguardian.comucl.ac.ukabcnews.comlivingplanet.panda.orgbbc.comyoutube.com

Detailed Analysis

The claim is directionally correct that biodiversity loss is severe and that global wildlife populations have fallen sharply since 1970. However, the specific figure in the statement is outdated or imprecise, because WWF’s most recent Living Planet Report says the average decline is 73%, while the 2022 report cited 69%.[2] [3] [5] [13]

Why this verdict

  • The claim is directionally correct that biodiversity loss is severe and that global wildlife populations have fallen sharply since 1970.
  • However, the specific figure in the statement is outdated or imprecise, because WWF’s most recent Living Planet Report says the average decline is 73%, while the 2022 report cited 69%.[2] [3] [5] [13]

Claims checked

We are losing biodiversity at a rate unparalleled in human history.

Can’t verify62%
The supplied sources strongly support that biodiversity loss is very severe and unprecedented in recent reporting, but they do not prove a literal comparison against all human history.[1] [3] [10] This is a broad superlative that is hard to verify as written.

Global wildlife populations have sunk over 60% since 1970.

Verified98%
Multiple recent WWF/Living Planet sources report declines well above 60% since 1970, including 69% in 2022 and 73% in the latest report.[1] [2] [3] [5] [13] So the statement is broadly correct, though less precise than the latest headline figure.

What other AI think

Both claims in the statement are well-supported by authoritative scientific sources. The 60% wildlife decline figure is accurate based on earlier WWF reports, though more recent data shows higher figures (69-73%). The characterization of biodiversity loss as "unparalleled in human history" is directly supported by multiple peer-reviewed studies and UN reports.

Why this verdict

  • Both claims in the statement are well-supported by authoritative scientific sources.
  • The 60% wildlife decline figure is accurate based on earlier WWF reports, though more recent data shows higher figures (69-73%).
  • The characterization of biodiversity loss as "unparalleled in human history" is directly supported by multiple peer-reviewed studies and UN reports.

Claims checked

Global wildlife populations have sunk over 60% since 1970

Verified95%
The WWF Living Planet Report 2018 documented a 60% decline in global wildlife populations between 1970 and 2014. More recent reports (2022, 2024) show even higher declines of 69-73%, making the 60% figure conservative but accurate. The claim uses 'over 60%' which is technically correct.

We are losing biodiversity at a rate unparalleled in human history

Verified98%
Multiple authoritative sources confirm this. The UN's IPBES report states 'nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history.' A peer-reviewed Science Advances study confirms 'recent extinction rates are unprecedented in human history.' This characterization is well-established in scientific literature.
Both parts of the statement are supported by major scientific assessments. The IPBES global assessment found biodiversity decline at a rate and scale described as unprecedented in human history. WWF’s Living Planet Report documents an average decline well over 60% in monitored wildlife populations since 1970.

Why this verdict

  • Both parts of the statement are supported by major scientific assessments.
  • The IPBES global assessment found biodiversity decline at a rate and scale described as unprecedented in human history.
  • WWF’s Living Planet Report documents an average decline well over 60% in monitored wildlife populations since 1970.

Claims checked

Global wildlife populations have sunk over 60% since 1970.

Verified90%
WWF’s Living Planet Report (2022) reports an average decline of about 69% in monitored vertebrate population abundance between 1970 and 2018, which supports the 'over 60%' statement.

We are losing biodiversity at a rate unparalleled in human history.

Verified92%
The 2019 IPBES Global Assessment states that the rate of change in nature over the past 50 years is unprecedented in human history and that extinction rates are tens to hundreds of times higher than the long-term background rate.

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