Policy support tool
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is the most comprehensive, objective database of the global conservation status of species. It evaluates the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. The IUCN aims to have each species re-evaluated in a peer reviewed manner every five years if possible, or at least every ten years. It provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use, trade, threats, and conservation actions. From its small beginning, the List has grown and now plays an increasingly prominent role in guiding conservation activities of governments, NGOs, and scientific institutions. More than 76,000 species have been assessed for List. The next goal is 160,000 species (plants, animals, and fungi) assessed by 2020.
To highlight taxa threatened with extinction, and therefore promote their conservation.
To provide scientifically based information on the status of species and subspecies at a global level,
To draw attention to the magnitude and importance of threatened biodiversity.
To influence national and international policy and decision-making,
To provide information to guide actions to conserve biological diversity.
To inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive.