Ongoing global change is leading to the widespread redistribution of species1,2. Assessments of shifts in species geographic ranges, however, remain taxonomically biased and geographically limited2, especially for insects. We conducted a global synthesis on butterfly range shifts using a combination of multi-lingual review in 15 languages and expert assessments, compiling data on range shifts for 1758 species (10% of described butterfly species) from 109 countries over the last three decades. In 5 of these countries, over 50% of butterfly species shifted their ranges. Overall, most species showed horizontal range expansion (81%), while 27% contracted their range and 22% shifted in elevation. Expansions were primarily reported in tropical species-rich regions, while 19% of species displayed multiple, concurrent range shifts in different countries, highlighting the complexity of these responses. In addition, there was also variation across families - while one-third of the documented species are nymphalids, pierids and papilionids had the highest proportion of species, experiencing range shift. We pinpoint nine drivers of species redistribution, with climate change and severe weather as most prominent. We suggest a future-focused conservation strategy that emphasises monitoring expansion in underrepresented regions and megadiverse countries, leveraging citizen science, and integrating range shifts into conservation planning.