Global extrapolation drastically increases estimated economic costs of biological invasions

Biological invasions have been estimated to damage the global economy at a scale comparable to natural disasters. However, these estimates rely on data from a small proportion of invasive species and countries. Effectively managing these invasions requires better cost estimates for neglected species and regions. Using random forest, we estimated the economic cost of 1,419 invasive species in 184 countries, from 1970 to 2020. The global cost of biological invasions during this period was 10.3 trillion US dollars, almost six times higher than previous estimates. Biological invasions have cost hundreds of billions annually, decades earlier than previously thought. In contrast with previous studies, we show that plants are responsible for the majority of these costs. Low- and middle-income countries were most affected, proportionally to their Gross Domestic Product. A coordinated effort is crucial to prevent the aggravation of these damages in the coming decades, particularly in economically vulnerable regions.