The World's Most Biodiverse Countries

Biodiversity plays a myriad of roles in ecosystems and the natural world as a whole, from the interactions of species with one another to soil health, the regulation of hydrological cycles and temperatures as well as the functioning of pollination and seed dispersal. Biodiversity is also believed to hold resources yet to be discovered, for example in the area of pharmaceuticals. However, the diversity of species around the world is under threat, as habitat loss, invasive species, monocultures, pollution and climate change drive more and more species to the brink of extintion (or beyond). As the decimation and disappearance of single species can have a cascading effect, the world is then at risk of ecosystem collapse.

There are some countries in the world that are home to large shares of the world's animals and plants species, giving them a big responsibility in biodiversity conservation. Brazil is home to almost 13 percent of global animal and plant species that were part of a study by World Rainforests (formerly part of Mongabay) by writer and activist Rhett Ayers Butler. This is followed by Indonesia, China and Colombia. While larger countries (and those in tropical regions) have an advantage when it comes to harbouring more species, Latin American countries overperform in the metric. Colombia, Peru and Mexico are all in the top 8 of the world's most biodiverse countries, while only ranking 12th to 32th among surveyed nations for land and sea area.

Looking at the countries where biodiversity is most concentrated, others emerge as leaders. Among those home to at least 1 percent of the world's animal and plant species, Singapore is by far the most biodiverse thanks to its tropical climate. This is followed by nearby Brunei as well as African countries Eswatini, Rwanda and Burundi - the latter two also in tropical latitudes. However, European nations Slovenia and Montenegro also make an appearance on the list, which boast great biodiversity due to their varying habitats which include alpine and Mediterranean as well as cave-dwelling species. Bhutan's Himalayan habitats in rank 8 meanwhile are home to an astonishing number of bird species as well as endemic plants.