India has the world's largest population of wild tigers. Its forests support more than 3,600 tigers, representing roughly three-quarters of the global wild population.
The recovery began with Project Tiger, launched in 1973 after decades of habitat loss and hunting had caused a steep decline. India initially protected nine tiger reserves; today, its conservation network includes dozens of reserves across states such as Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
India's tiger numbers are tracked through nationwide assessments that use camera traps, habitat surveys, and individual identification. The 2022 assessment estimated 3,682 tigers, up substantially from the 1,411 recorded in 2006. The Bengal tiger is the country's principal tiger population.
Russia also has wild tigers, especially the Amur tiger in the Far East, while Indonesia and China retain smaller populations. The common mix-up is confusing the country with the tiger's full historical range: tigers once lived across much more of Asia, but India now holds the largest surviving wild population.