US monarch butterfly population sees significant drop in last 2 decades: Study


The U.S.' butterfly population dropped 22% over two decades.

Full story

  • The United States’ butterfly population dropped 22% over two decades, a steep decline for the vital pollinators. Researchers looked at more than 76,000 studies to create the most comprehensive population study ever.
  • When it comes to monarch butterflies, specifically, the U.S.’ eastern population went up this year.
  • Meanwhile, the U.S.’ western population saw its lowest numbers ever.

Full Story

Spring is nearly here and many people are looking forward to sunny days but one indicator of spring might not be seen as much. The butterfly population in the United States decreased 22% between 2000 and 2020, according to a new study.

What did researchers find?

Researchers looked at more than 76,000 regional surveys to create the most comprehensive study of their population yet and came to that conclusion.

However, there is some encouraging news for these vital pollinators, at least in the eastern U.S.

Good news for the eastern US population

According to the Wild Wildlife Fund’s annual report, the eastern monarch population nearly doubled in 2025. The eastern monarch population is located east of the Rocky Mountains and they travel to Mexico for the winter annually.

The WWF tracks the population by how much space the insects cover in central Mexico’s forests. In 2025, they occupied 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres in 2024.

Bad news for the western US population

Meanwhile, the western monarch butterfly population declined.

The western monarch population is tracked by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. It counts the number of monarch butterflies that migrate to the California coast in northern Baja and inland California, and Arizona each year.

In 2025, the Xerces Society recorded its lowest number of monarch butterflies ever.

Is this only an issue in the US?

The drop in butterfly numbers in the U.S. mirrors the overall estimated average rate of insect loss of about 1% to 2% per year that has been seen worldwide.

This “insectageddon” has negative implications for the world’s food supply because about one-third of all crops depend on pollinators like butterflies and bees to thrive.

How can you help?

There are several ways everyone can help save the butterflies and other important pollinators. Here are several resources from the Xerces Society anyone can use to help support pollinator populations:

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Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left emphasize the personal impact of butterfly declines on communities, creating a sense of urgency through evocative language.
  • Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
  • Media outlets on the right present a more clinical overview of the crisis by focusing on statistical data without personal anecdotes.

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

113 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • The number of butterflies in the United States has fallen by 22% on average since 2000, according to a study published in the journal Science.
  • The median species of butterfly has declined by more than 40%, with major drivers including habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change, as stated by Collin Edwards.
  • More than 100 butterfly species surveyed have lost more than half of their populations since 2000, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts, as described by Elise Zipkin.
  • Edwards mentions that individual actions, such as cultivating pollinator-friendly plants, can help provide food and nectar for butterflies and mitigate some effects of climate change.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Center

No summary available because of a lack of coverage.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Right

  • From 2000 to 2020, butterfly populations in the U.S. Declined by 22%, according to an analysis published in the journal Science.
  • The Southwest region experienced the greatest decline, with butterfly numbers dropping by more than half, linked to rising temperatures and drought, as reported by Collin Edwards.
  • Major causes of the decline include habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change, according to scientists including Collin Edwards and Anurag Agrawal.
  • The widespread decline among butterfly populations signals broader trouble for insect populations, marking a 'catastrophic and saddening' loss, as stated by Collin Edwards.

Report an issue with this summary

Other (sources without bias rating):

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The U.S.' butterfly population dropped 22% over two decades.

Full story

  • The United States’ butterfly population dropped 22% over two decades, a steep decline for the vital pollinators. Researchers looked at more than 76,000 studies to create the most comprehensive population study ever.
  • When it comes to monarch butterflies, specifically, the U.S.’ eastern population went up this year.
  • Meanwhile, the U.S.’ western population saw its lowest numbers ever.

Full Story

Spring is nearly here and many people are looking forward to sunny days but one indicator of spring might not be seen as much. The butterfly population in the United States decreased 22% between 2000 and 2020, according to a new study.

What did researchers find?

Researchers looked at more than 76,000 regional surveys to create the most comprehensive study of their population yet and came to that conclusion.

However, there is some encouraging news for these vital pollinators, at least in the eastern U.S.

Good news for the eastern US population

According to the Wild Wildlife Fund’s annual report, the eastern monarch population nearly doubled in 2025. The eastern monarch population is located east of the Rocky Mountains and they travel to Mexico for the winter annually.

The WWF tracks the population by how much space the insects cover in central Mexico’s forests. In 2025, they occupied 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres in 2024.

Bad news for the western US population

Meanwhile, the western monarch butterfly population declined.

The western monarch population is tracked by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. It counts the number of monarch butterflies that migrate to the California coast in northern Baja and inland California, and Arizona each year.

In 2025, the Xerces Society recorded its lowest number of monarch butterflies ever.

Is this only an issue in the US?

The drop in butterfly numbers in the U.S. mirrors the overall estimated average rate of insect loss of about 1% to 2% per year that has been seen worldwide.

This “insectageddon” has negative implications for the world’s food supply because about one-third of all crops depend on pollinators like butterflies and bees to thrive.

How can you help?

There are several ways everyone can help save the butterflies and other important pollinators. Here are several resources from the Xerces Society anyone can use to help support pollinator populations:

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left emphasize the personal impact of butterfly declines on communities, creating a sense of urgency through evocative language.
  • Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
  • Media outlets on the right present a more clinical overview of the crisis by focusing on statistical data without personal anecdotes.

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

113 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • The number of butterflies in the United States has fallen by 22% on average since 2000, according to a study published in the journal Science.
  • The median species of butterfly has declined by more than 40%, with major drivers including habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change, as stated by Collin Edwards.
  • More than 100 butterfly species surveyed have lost more than half of their populations since 2000, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts, as described by Elise Zipkin.
  • Edwards mentions that individual actions, such as cultivating pollinator-friendly plants, can help provide food and nectar for butterflies and mitigate some effects of climate change.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Center

No summary available because of a lack of coverage.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Right

  • From 2000 to 2020, butterfly populations in the U.S. Declined by 22%, according to an analysis published in the journal Science.
  • The Southwest region experienced the greatest decline, with butterfly numbers dropping by more than half, linked to rising temperatures and drought, as reported by Collin Edwards.
  • Major causes of the decline include habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change, according to scientists including Collin Edwards and Anurag Agrawal.
  • The widespread decline among butterfly populations signals broader trouble for insect populations, marking a 'catastrophic and saddening' loss, as stated by Collin Edwards.

Report an issue with this summary

Other (sources without bias rating):

Powered by Ground News™