The bar chart illustrates changes in the population of Asian elephants across nine countries between 1997 and 2004. Overall, India contained by far the largest numbers in both years, whereas China consistently recorded the smallest figures. A clear downward trend is visible in several countries, while others remained largely unchanged.
In 1997, the elephant population in India stood at about 10,000, after which it fell considerably to roughly 7,500 by 2004. Myanmar showed a similar pattern, with its numbers declining slightly from just above 5,000 to around 4,800. The most dramatic fall was seen in Malaysia, where the population plummeted from 3,000 to only 1,000 over the period.
By contrast, China maintained the lowest figures, with its elephant numbers halving from 1,000 in 1997 to about 500 in 2004. Sri Lanka also witnessed a moderate reduction, from approximately 4,000 to 3,000. Meanwhile, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos remained stable, showing no noticeable change across the two years.