Estimated economic losses due to invasive species across the globe

The table gives an idea of the global scale of the issue. While the figures were collected using different methods, it provides a general picture of the extent of the IAS problem worldwide.
The bill for dealing with the problems caused by IAS in the European Union (EU) has been estimated at €12 billion per year over the past 20 years. Key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries/aquaculture, forestry and health account for more than €6 billion per year.
These figures for damage (e.g. lost revenue, health costs, damage to riverbanks and infrastructure) and management costs (control measures to tackle established IAS) are considered a conserva-tive estimate for several reasons. The impacts of only a small percentage of IAS are known, for example, and it is difficult to put a price on species extinction or the loss of biodiversity. There is also a lack of data for certain parts of Europe, and on the economic impacts of many IAS for sectors such as forestry, fisheries and tourism.