Data Repository
Data Repository for IUCN Red List Data used in Published Papers
Spatial and tabular data from The IUCN Red List are used in many analyses and the results published in scientific papers. Journals often require the datasets used for such papers to be made permanently available in a public repository. Hence this repository has been established for Red List datasets used in analyses and publications that are primarily lead by people associated with IUCN.
This repository meets the usual criteria required of such data repositories:
- Ensure long-term persistence and preservation of datasets in their published form.
- Provide stable persistent identifiers for submitted datasets (initially this will be a stable URL but a DOI will also be provided in the future).
- The data are freely available for download and use under a CC-BY-NC license following the IUCN Red List Terms and Conditions of Use. Users need a free user account to access the downloads.
- The data used in the analyses are published or have been accepted for publication on The IUCN Red List and will have been subject to review following the IUCN Red List Rules of Procedure.
Please note that the spatial and tabular data made available under this Repository are the data used in the publications listed below. Since publication, the species involved may have been reassessed for the IUCN Red List, undergone taxonomic changes, etc. Hence the latest versions of these datasets may be available for download from the bulk Spatial Data Download page or by querying the current version of the Red List using the filters under the Advanced Search function (note that in downloading the results obtained using the Advanced Search function the number of shapefiles that may be downloaded is limited to between 6,000 and 7,000 species).
Contents
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Ongoing declines for the world's amphibians (Luedtke et al. 2023 – Nature)
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Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) (De Knijf et al. 2024 – EC Publication)
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3. One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened (Sayer et al. 2025 – Nature)
4. Past conservation efforts reveal actions which lead to positive outcomes (Simkins et al. 2025 – PLoS Biology)
1. Ongoing declines for the world's amphibians in the face of emerging threats
Primary article
Luedtke, J.A., Chanson, J., Neam, K., Hobin, L. et al. 2023. Ongoing declines for the world's amphibians in the face of emerging threats. Nature 622(7982): 308–314. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06578-4
Abstract
Systematic assessments of species extinction risk at regular intervals are necessary for informing conservation action. Ongoing developments in taxonomy, threatening processes, and research further underscore the need for reassessment. The second Global Amphibian Assessment evaluates 8,011 species for The IUCN Red List and finds amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate class (40.7%). The updated Red List Index shows their status is deteriorating globally, particularly for salamanders and the Neotropics. Disease and habitat loss drove 91% of status deteriorations between 1980–2004. Ongoing and projected climate change effects are now of increasing concern, driving 39% of status deteriorations since 2004, followed by habitat loss (37%). While signs of species recoveries incentivise immediate conservation action, scaled-up investment is urgently needed to reverse current trends.
Usage notes
The dataset contains all of the tabular and spatial data analysed in Luedtke et al. 2023, Ongoing declines for the world's amphibians in the face of emerging threats. The Readme file contains a detailed explanation of each file and variable in the dataset. Information regarding the methods used for the analyses can be found in the associated paper referenced above.
Citation and data link
Luedtke, J.A. et al. 2023. Ongoing declines for the world's amphibians in the face of emerging threats. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Amphibian Dataset. GAA2 amphibians data [1.33 GB]
2. European Red List
Primary publication
De Knijf, G., Billqvist, M., van Grunsven, R.H.A., Prunier, F., Vinko, D., Trottet, A., Bellotto, V., Clay, J. and Allen, D.J. 2024. Measuring the Pulse of European Biodiversity. European Red List of Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odonata). European Commission, Brussels, Belgium. DOI: 10.2779/462053
Abstract
Repeated assessments of species extinction risk at regular intervals are necessary for informing conservation action and informing state and EU-level performance against international biodiversity targets. This second assessment of European dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) evaluates 142 species for The European IUCN Red List. It identifies species threatened with extinction at the European and EU27 Member State levels so that appropriate policy and conservation actions can be taken to improve their status, based on the best available evidence.
Usage notes
The dataset contains all of the outputs including spatial data analysed in De Knijf et al. (2024), Measuring the pulse of European biodiversity. European Red List of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata). The Readme file contains a detailed explanation of each file and variable in the dataset.
Citation and data link
De Knijf et al. 2024. Measuring the Pulse of European Biodiversity. European Red List of Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odonata). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: European Dragonfly Dataset. European dragonfly data [2.6 GB]
3. One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction
Primary article
Sayer, C.A., Fernando, E., Jimenez, R.R., Macfarlane, R.B.W. et al. 2025. One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction. Nature 638(8049): 138–145. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08375-z
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are highly biodiverse and important for livelihoods and economic development, but are under substantial stress. To date, comprehensive global assessments of extinction risk have not included any speciose groups primarily living in freshwaters. Consequently, data from predominantly terrestrial tetrapods are used to guide environmental policy and conservation prioritization, whereas recent proposals for target setting in freshwaters use abiotic factors. However, there is evidence that such data are insufficient to represent the needs of freshwater species and achieve biodiversity goals. Here we present the results of a multi-taxon global freshwater fauna assessment for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species covering 23,496 decapod crustaceans, fishes and odonates, finding that one-quarter are threatened with extinction. Prevalent threats include pollution, dams and water extraction, agriculture and invasive species, with overharvesting also driving extinctions. We also examined the degree of surrogacy of both threatened tetrapods and freshwater abiotic factors (water stress and nitrogen) for threatened freshwater species. Threatened tetrapods are good surrogates when prioritising sites to maximise rarity-weighted richness, but poorer when prioritising based on the most range-restricted species. However, they are much better surrogates than abiotic factors, which perform worse than random. Thus, although global priority regions identified for tetrapod conservation are broadly reflective of those for freshwater faunas, given differences in key threats and habitats, meeting the needs of tetrapods cannot be assumed sufficient to conserve freshwater species at local scales.
Usage notes
The dataset contains all of the tabular and spatial data analysed in Sayer et al. 2025, One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction. The Readme file contains an outline of each file in the dataset. Information regarding the methods used for the analyses can be found in the associated paper referenced above.
Citation and data link
Sayer, C.A. et al. 2025. One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: freshwater fauna and tetrapod dataset. Freshwater fauna and tetrapod data [3.97 GB]
4. Past conservation efforts reveal which actions lead to positive outcomes for species
Primary article
Simkins, A.T., Sutherland, W.J., Dicks, L.V., Hilton-Taylor, C., Grace, M.K., Butchart, S.H.M., Senior, R.A. and Petrovan, S.O. 2025. Past conservation efforts reveal which actions lead to positive outcomes for species. PLoS Biology in press. DOI: in press
Abstract
Understanding the consequences of past conservation efforts is essential to inform the means of maintaining and restoring species. Data from the IUCN Red List for 67,217 animal species were reviewed and analysed to determine (i) which conservation actions have been implemented for different species, (ii) which types of species have improved in status and (iii) which actions are likely to have driven the improvements. At least 51.8% (34,847) of assessed species have actions reported, mostly comprising protected areas (82.7%). Proportionately more actions were reported for tetrapods and warm-water reef-building corals, and fewer for fish, dragonflies and damselflies and crustaceans. Species at greater risk of extinction have a wider range of species-targeted actions reported compared with less threatened species, reflecting differences in documentation and conservation efforts. Six times more species have deteriorated than improved in status, as reflected in their IUCN Red List Category. Almost all species that improved have conservation actions in place, and typically were previously at high risk of extinction, have smaller ranges and were less likely to be documented as threatened by hunting and habitat loss or degradation. Improvements in status were driven by a wide range of actions, especially reintroductions; for amphibians and birds, area management was also important. While conservation interventions have reduced the extinction risk of some of the most threatened species, in very few cases has full recovery been achieved. Scaling up the extent and intensity of conservation interventions, particularly landscape-scale actions that benefit broadly distributed species, is urgently needed to assist the recovery of biodiversity.
Usage notes
The dataset contains the data used for Figures 1, 2 and 4 and for Supplementary Figures S1 and S2 plus the R-code used for the analysis.
Citation and data link
Simkins, A.T. et al. 2025. Past conservation efforts reveal which actions lead to positive outcomes for species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: conservation actions dataset for comprehensively assessed animals. Conservation efforts figure data and R-code [1.04 MB]