ƽ

Wildlife trafficking

The Most Trafficked Animals

Wildlife trafficking is the world's fourth largest illegal trade when including fisheries and plantlife, after narcotics, human trafficking and counterfeit products, according to the . According to Germany’s Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, wildlife crimes are frequently associated with other types of crimes, such as money-laundering, corruption as well as tax and customs fraud, but these are only rarely pursued when dealing with wildlife offenses. The overlapping of wildlife crime with other serious organized crimes makes it a “convergent crime”.

While shark finning has gained prominence in the news recently, the following chart shows how the animals most affected by illegal wildlife trade in 2015-2021 were rhinos, pangolins and elephants, together accounting for nearly three quarters (73 percent) of all of all seizure records. Interpol warns that as the illegal , it is contributing to pushing species towards extinction. This too is highlighted in the , which reveals how 73 percent of the trafficked mammals seized between 2015 and 2021 were considered under threat, while the same was true for 62 percent of the seized amphibians and 59 percent of reptiles.

Description

This chart shows the share of all seizure records by species (2015-2021).

Premium statistics
Crime rate in England and Wales 2002-2026
Number of crime offences in England and Wales 2002-2026
Premium statistics
Reported rate of crime against women in India 2024, by state
Premium statistics
Canada: violent crime rate 2025, by type
Premium statistics
Prevalence rate of violent crime U.S. 2014-2024, by race and ethnicity
Premium statistics
Crime rate in the UK 2002-2025, by country

Any more questions?

Get in touch with us quickly and easily.
We are happy to help!

Do you still have questions?

Feel free to contact us anytime using our contact form or visit our FAQ page.

ƽ Content & Design

Need infographics, animated videos, presentations, data research or social media charts?