You might not guess which country actually has the most polar bears. Canada claims about two-thirds of the world’s polar bears, easily topping the list. That fact really shapes where scientists focus their work and where conservation matters most.
If you’re curious why Canada supports so many polar bears, stick around. I’ll break down where they live, how people count them, and some of the threats they face.
You’ll also get a look at how conservation efforts differ from country to country—and why that matters for the bears’ future.
Which Country Has the Most Polar Bears?
Most polar bears live in just one country, but you’ll spot important populations in a handful of other Arctic nations too.
Their numbers change depending on the subpopulation and shifting sea ice. So, scientists use ranges instead of exact counts.
Polar Bear Population by Country
Today, you’ll find about 20,000–31,000 polar bears across the Arctic. Scientists break them up into around 19–20 subpopulations, each tied to a specific sea-ice region or coastline.
Estimates shift with new surveys. Researchers track these subpopulations by region names like the Chukchi Sea or Southern Beaufort.
These groups help local managers set hunting rules and guide conservation.
Key facts:
- Total wild population: about 22,000–31,000 bears.
- 19–20 recognized subpopulations in the Arctic.
- Around 300 polar bears live in captivity worldwide.
If you want to see how they track and map populations, check out the Polar Bear Specialist Group population status.
Canada: Home of the Most Polar Bears
Canada hosts about two-thirds of the world’s polar bears. That’s roughly 12,000–16,000 bears, depending on the year and who’s counting.
You’ll spot them in northern provinces and territories like Nunavut, Manitoba (especially around Churchill, which folks call the “polar bear capital of the world”), the Northwest Territories, and Labrador.
Canada’s broad Arctic coast and huge stretches of sea ice give polar bears plenty of space to hunt seals—their main food.
The country’s management blends science, Indigenous knowledge, and local rules to protect bears and keep people safe.
Polar Bear Populations in Alaska, Greenland, Russia, and Norway
Alaska, Greenland, Russia, and Norway share the rest of the world’s polar bears, but in smaller numbers.
Alaska has about 4,000–7,000 bears across places like the Chukchi Sea and Southern Beaufort.
Greenland holds a few hundred to maybe a couple thousand bears, mostly along fjords and ice.
Russia’s bears cluster around Wrangel Island and the Barents Sea, with some estimates putting them at about 3,000.
Svalbard, part of Norway, has a smaller but still important group.
Numbers in each country depend on sea ice, survey effort, and local hunting rules.
If you want a deeper dive into regional numbers, the WWF Arctic polar bear page has more info.
Polar Bear Conservation and Challenges
Polar bears face shrinking sea ice, legal protections, and a mix of local conservation efforts—all of which shape their odds of survival.
Let’s look at how melting ice changes their hunting, what laws protect them, and what groups are doing to help.
Impact of Climate Change on Polar Bears
Rising temperatures melt the sea ice that polar bears use for hunting seals. With less ice, they have to swim farther and spend more time on land, where food’s often hard to find.
That means bears lose weight, cubs don’t survive as well, and their ranges shift.
As ice breaks up earlier in spring and takes longer to return in fall, the hunting season shrinks. Some groups of bears have lost weight and have fewer cubs.
Coastal communities now see more hungry bears near towns, which raises risks for people and the bears themselves.
Scientists watch ice trends, check bears’ health, and count populations to track how things are going.
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions helps most, since climate change drives the loss of polar bear habitat.
Endangered Species Status
Laws now protect polar bears and limit hunting or disturbance. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act make it illegal to harm, hunt, or capture polar bears.
Back in 1973, countries with polar bears agreed to limit large-scale commercial hunting. That agreement still guides management today.
The conservation status depends on the region. The IUCN lists the global population at about 22,000–31,000 and calls the species vulnerable.
Some groups of bears are stable, others are dropping, and a few regions don’t have enough data yet.
That patchwork shapes how agencies set quotas, plan for emergencies, and choose research priorities.
Legal protections help cut direct human threats. Still, they can’t fix habitat loss from climate change.
Protection laws mostly aim to prevent hunting-related declines and manage conflicts between people and bears.
Efforts in Bear Conservation
People are working on bear conservation in a bunch of different ways. Scientists monitor populations, check how healthy the bears look, and watch their sea-ice habits to help make better decisions.
Indigenous and local communities often team up with researchers. They share what they know and work together to cut down on conflicts near towns.
On a practical level, folks run bear-aware programs and push for safer waste disposal. They use non-lethal deterrents to protect both people and bears—nobody wants an incident if it can be avoided.
Zoos and aquariums play their part too. They help educate the public, support research, and even raise money for programs out in the field.
Organizations like WWF and Polar Bears International join forces with governments and Indigenous groups. Together, they fight to protect habitats and urge action on climate issues.
International agreements and local management plans try to keep polar bear populations healthy. At the same time, they focus on reducing the chances of humans and bears coming into conflict.
