The number of elephants in African wildlife dropped by 77% from 1964 to 2024, a survey that compiled data from 475 sites in 37 countries showed.
The decrease was due to poaching and climate change, according to the survey published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Declines were not uniform across the continent, with some populations disappearing completely and others showing rapid growth, it said.
In the war-torn Sahel region of northern Africa, elephant populations have been decimated. Eastern and central Africa generally saw declines from ivory poaching as well as from human population growth and wilderness conversion crowding out elephants.
However, elephants are thriving in parts of southern Africa, particularly in Botswana, where populations have been protected and sustainably managed.