The Climate Risk Index 2025 analyzes the impact of extreme weather events through three main risks: hydrological, meteorological, and climatological. It is based on data from the EM-DAT international disaster database, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The index considers both absolute and relative impacts, with data spanning from 1993 to 2022.
According to the report, from 1993 to 2022, extreme climate events worldwide led to the deaths of 765,000 people and caused direct economic damage amounting to $4.2 trillion. These climate disasters are occurring more frequently and with greater severity.
Between 1993 and 2022, extreme weather conditions caused the most damage in Dominica, China, and Honduras. In 2022 alone, the most affected countries were Pakistan, Belize, and Italy.
Impact of major disasters
Both short-term and long-term impacts have been most strongly driven by floods, storms, heatwaves, and droughts. Between 1993 and 2022, the primary causes of fatalities were storms (35%), heatwaves (30%), and floods (27%). Floods caused the most harm to people (32% or $1.33 trillion), while storms led to the greatest economic loss (56% or $2.33 trillion).
The analysis shows that threats that were previously rare are now becoming a regular occurrence in certain areas.
According to the long-term index for the years 1993-2022, the countries that suffered the most can be divided into two groups:
- Countries most affected by rare extreme events: Dominica, Honduras, Myanmar, Vanuatu.
- Countries suffering from the recurrent occurrence of extreme events: China, India, the Philippines.
Situation in Asia
Since 1993, Asia has suffered at least $2 trillion in damage due to extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves.
Among Asian countries, China is one of the most affected by climate change. Over the past 30 years, it has experienced 42,000 deaths and economic losses amounting to $706 billion.
High-income countries are also vulnerable to climate disasters
According to the report, seven of the ten countries most affected by climate disasters in 2022 were high-income nations. This suggests that, despite their significantly better ability to address climate risks compared to lower-income countries, high-income nations still need to strengthen their climate risk management efforts.
