Earth Is Gaining 16,000 New Species a Year, Faster Than Ever

Scientists are naming more than 16,000 new species every year, the highest rate ever recorded

About 15% of all species known to science were discovered in just the last 20 years

Roughly 2.5 million species are named, but an estimated 86% of life on Earth is still undescribed

Insects, fungi, fish and amphibians have far more hidden species than current catalogues show

A 2025 study argues discovery is speeding up, not slowing down — countering the 'all the easy ones are found' myth