Selin Oğuz
2025-02-13 12:01:00
www.visualcapitalist.com
Charted: The Economic Value of Nature vs. Global GDP
Have you ever considered nature’s worth in dollars and cents?
To illustrate its immense value, we partnered with Zero Carbon Analytics to visualize the annual economic value that nature provides humans, using data from Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
$179 Trillion in Annual Value
The value that nature provides is typically broken into four ecosystem services. Namely:
- Regulating services: Nature’s systems that control climate, water, and air quality.
- Provisioning services: The tangible goods we rely on, from fresh water and food to timber and medicinal plants.
- Cultural services: The inspiration, recreation, and spiritual value we derive from nature.
- Supporting/habitat services: The processes that sustain ecosystems, from soil formation and nutrient cycling to providing homes for wildlife.
BCG estimates that the annual value of these four services is a whopping $179 trillion.
To put that sum into perspective, global GDP in 2023 was around $105 trillion (2023 dollars). That means nature provides ecosystem services 1.7 times greater in value than global GDP each year.
Let’s consider this sum broken down by the four ecosystem services.
Ecosystem Service | Annual Value Provided |
---|---|
Regulating | $107 trillion |
Cultural | $36 trillion |
Habitat | $18 trillion |
Provisioning | $18 trillion |
TOTAL | $179 trillion |
Values have been updated to 2023 dollars, from the source’s 2019 estimates, using U.S. CPI inflation.
At $107 trillion annually, the most economically valuable ecosystem service is regulating.
According to BCG, this number is estimated by calculating the opportunity costs of losing these services. For instance, the value of climate regulation is calculated by multiplying ecosystems’ carbon sequestration rates by a carbon price per ton.
Preserving Nature’s Value
Beyond an intrinsic value, nature provides immense economic value for society.
Yet, continuing business as usual comes at a steep price, with nature’s decline projected to cost at least $479 billion per year by 2050, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.
With that in mind, protecting nature may not just be about conservation—it can be an economic strategy for avoiding losses.
var disqus_shortname = “visualcapitalist.disqus.com”;
var disqus_title = “Charted: The Economic Value of Nature vs. Global GDP”;
var disqus_url = “https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/charted-the-economic-value-of-nature-vs-global-gdp/”;
var disqus_identifier = “visualcapitalist.disqus.com-174894”;
-
Technology1 week ago
Ranked: Google’s Thirstiest Data Centers
Locating and ranking the thirstiest of Google’s data centers in America, by the millions of gallons of water consumed in 2023.
-
Environment1 month ago
Visualizing California’s Drought Conditions (2000–2025)
Severe droughts in California, a common multi-year occurrence, have become more frequent due to climate change.
-
Green1 month ago
How Much of the World’s Plastic Waste Actually Gets Recycled?
This chart breaks down plastic waste disposal, showing just how little recycling is happening at the global level.
-
Environment1 month ago
Mapped: Water Violations by State
Data from the EPA shows how many water violations each state received in 2023.
-
Environment2 months ago
Charted: Per-Capita CO2 Emissions by Global Region (1960-2022)
This infographic shows how per-capita CO2 emissions have changed across the world’s seven major regions.
-
Green2 months ago
Mapped: Global Hydrogen Production by Region
We map global hydrogren by region, and also break production down into blue vs. green hydrogen types.
The post Charted: The Economic Value of Nature vs. Global GDP appeared first on Visual Capitalist.
Keep your files stored safely and securely with the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD. With over 69,505 ratings and an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars, this product has been purchased over 8K+ times in the past month. At only $129.99, this Amazon’s Choice product is a must-have for secure file storage.
Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256-bit AES hardware encryption. Order now for just $129.99 on Amazon!
Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support
If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.
As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!
BITCOIN bc1qlszw7elx2qahjwvaryh0tkgg8y68enw30gpvge Scan the QR code with your crypto wallet app |
DOGECOIN D64GwvvYQxFXYyan3oQCrmWfidf6T3JpBA Scan the QR code with your crypto wallet app |
ETHEREUM 0xe9BC980DF3d985730dA827996B43E4A62CCBAA7a Scan the QR code with your crypto wallet app |
Please read the Privacy and Security Disclaimer on how Techcratic handles your support.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, Techcratic may earn from qualifying purchases.