Overview
- The IUCN’s October 2025 assessment moves the globally distributed species from Endangered to Least Concern following sustained gains.
- Global numbers have risen by roughly 28% since the 1970s, a trend linked to legal protections, nesting beach safeguards and turtle‑excluder devices in fisheries.
- Recovery remains uneven, with the North Indian Ocean subpopulation listed as Vulnerable and the Central South Pacific listed as Endangered.
- In the North Atlantic, the overall status is Least Concern, yet scientists note recent nesting declines at a major Costa Rica site that warrant investigation.
- Green turtles remain below historic abundance and face threats from habitat loss, climate change, bycatch, pollution and disease, while hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley turtles stay Critically Endangered.