The true scale of global wildlife trade is obscured by data gaps.

A review of wildlife trade monitoring programs found 107,356 species in use and trade globally—at least double the IPBES estimate of 50,000 species.

• Why it matters: Data on wildlife extraction and trade are incomplete and fragmented, limiting reliable global indicators for sustainability and conservation planning.
• What they did: The authors compiled and compared wildlife trade monitoring program coverage, finding up to 47,685 animal species and 42% of described vertebrates included.
• The result: Most countries lack systematic trade data for non-CITES-listed species, so indicators may keep covering less than 2% of traded species without standardized national collation.

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