In this review, we summarize available data on nest success, chick survival and reproductive output, and adult and juvenile survival of five meadow breeding waders in Europe: Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), and Common Redshank (Tringa totanus). The survival data from the assembled studies did not show an overall decline in adult survival in any of these species. However, our meta-analyses on reproduction data show that chick survival declined strongly in the last 40 years in western Europe and that nest success declined in eastern Europe in the period 1995-2005, in Scandinavia in the period 1985-2005, and in western Europe in the period 1950-1980.Predation of nests has increased by c. ?40% in all five species in western Europe during the last four decades. Results on reproductive output, the number of fledglings produced per breeding pair, were less clear. A decline was apparent in Eurasian Oystercatcher in the period 1963-2005; an initial decline in 1953-1990, but slight recent (1990-2006) recovery in Northern Lapwing; an initial decline in Blacktailed Godwit in the period 1985-1995, but again slight increase from 1995 onwards; no trend in Common Redshank (1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006) nor in Eurasian Curlew . In all five species the results indicate that present population declines are caused by a decrease in reproduction, not in adult survival, and that reproductive output is presently too low to compensate for adult mortality. ZusammenfassungWie Ü berlebens-und Reproduktionsraten zum Europa-weiten Rü ckgang von Wiesen-Limikolen beitragen: Ü berblick und Meta-Analyse In dieser Ü bersichtsarbeit fassen wir die verfügbaren Daten über Schlupferfolg, Ü berlebensrate der Küken, Bruterfolg sowie Ü berlebensrate der Alt-und Jungvögel von fünf in Europa auf Wiesen brütenden Limikolenarten: [Austernfischer (Haematopus ostralegus), Kiebitz (Vanellus vanellus), Uferschnepfe (Limosa limosa), Großer Brachvogel (Numenius arquata) und Rotschenkel (Tringa totanus)] zusammen. Die Ü berlebensdaten der gesammelten Studien zeigten für keine der Arten einen Rückgang der Ü berlebensrate der Altvögel. Unsere Meta-Analyse der Reproduktionsdaten Communicated by F. Bairlein.