# Most European wild bees in steep decline, study finds

> A century of records shows bee and hover fly populations collapsing across Europe except the Alps, as a UN biodiversity summit begins.
- Title: Most European wild bees in steep decline, study finds
- Summary: A century of records shows bee and hover fly populations collapsing across Europe except the Alps, as a UN biodiversity summit begins. A study of records…
- Keywords: bee decline, wild bees, pollinators, europe, biodiversity, cop17, armenia, climate change, habitat loss, news, world, Most
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/19/study-europe-wild-bee-species-decline-
- Published: 2026-10-19T19:00:04+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bee decline, wild bees, pollinators, europe, biodiversity, cop17, armenia, climate change, habitat loss, news, world
## A century of decline
Records since nineteen twenty-one show more bee species declining than increasing across Europe, except in the Alpine region. About half of hover fly species have also declined.
## The pattern across regions
The Atlantic and Continental regions suffered persistent drops in bee and hover fly species richness. Trends in other regions were mixed or even positive. The data covers eighty-eight percent of bee and hover fly species.
## Hidden loss reshaping nature
Scientists warn pollinator communities have been reshaped by the gradual loss of sensitive species and the rise of a resilient few. This could cause deeper functional disruptions if trends continue.

> gradual loss of sensitive species and the rise of a resilient few
## Why this matters for food
Nearly ninety percent of wild flowering plants and more than three-quarters of major food crop types depend partly on animal pollination. Pollinator decline threatens wildlife and weakens ecosystems against climate change.
## A window to act now
Carlos Martínez-Núñez, lead author and ecologist at the Spanish National Research Council, said the findings show biodiversity loss can hide behind stable species numbers, giving a crucial opportunity to act before further declines occur.

> giving us a crucial opportunity to act before further declines occur
## Cop17 tackles global targets
The summit in Yerevan will assess progress toward this decade's targets: protecting thirty percent of land and sea, reforming five hundred billion dollars of environmentally damaging subsidies, and restoring thirty percent of degraded ecosystems.
## Key takeaway

A study of records since nineteen twenty-one finds most European wild bee species declining, threatening pollination of crops and wild plants as Cop seventeen begins in Armenia.