The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assesses the conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties and even selected sub-populations on a global scale. This system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction, and the main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those species that are facing a higher risk of global extinction (i.e. those listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable). The IUCN Red List also includes information on species that are categorized as Extinct or Extinct in the Wild.