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India's Elephant Population Drops 17% Since 2017 Amid Habitat Loss
15 Oct
Summary
- India's elephant population estimated at 22,446 in 2025
- Karnataka has the highest elephant population at 6,013
- Habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflicts threaten elephant survival
As of October 2025, India's elephant population has declined by approximately 17% since 2017, according to the latest All-India Synchronous Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India. The survey estimates the current elephant population to be between 18,255 and 26,645, with a central estimate of 22,446 individuals.
The Western Ghats region continues to be home to the highest number of elephants at 11,934, followed by the north-eastern hills and Brahmaputra floodplains with 6,559 elephants. Karnataka has the largest elephant population in the country, with 6,013 individuals. However, experts caution that the new DNA-based sampling method used in this survey makes the numbers not directly comparable to the previous 2017 estimation, which relied on a direct count approach.
