Accredited official statistics

Butterflies in the United Kingdom and in England

Trends in butterflies: habitat specialists and species of the wider countryside in the UK and in England.

Documents

Details

Butterflies are considered to provide a good indication of the broad state of the environment because they respond rapidly to changes in environmental conditions and habitat management, occur in a wide range of habitats, and are representative of many other insects.

The butterfly population indices have been compiled in conjunction with the Butterfly Conservation, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

Defra statistics: Biodiversity and Wildlife

Updates to this page

Published 20 October 2015
Last updated 19 August 2025 show all updates
  1. Annual update.

  2. Annual Update.

  3. Butterflies Development Plan added.

  4. 2022 release published.

  5. CSV title attachments amended.

  6. Annual update.

  7. Minor adjustments made to ensure all bar charts are visible on pdf statistical release attachment.

  8. New publication including data up to 2020. In addition edits made to the wording on the home page and document titles of the attachments.

  9. some amendments required on one of the charts

  10. Unaccessible attachment removed.

  11. Accessible pdf document added as an additional attachment.

  12. Annual update.

  13. 2018 data published

  14. Updated indicators published for 1976 to 2017

  15. Butterfly trend data up to 2016 published

  16. First published.

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