Over 16,000 Lives Lost in 2025 Disasters, Cred Reports

The year 2025 was a devastating period globally, with the Emergency Events Database (Cred) reporting 358 natural hazard-related disasters. These events claimed over 16,000 lives, impacted more than 110 million people, and inflicted economic losses totaling a staggering $169.68 billion. The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (Cred) at the University of Louvain in Belgium, a respected institution for disaster data, compiled this grim assessment.

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The year 2025 saw 358 natural hazard-related disasters, resulting in over 16,000 fatalities, affecting 110.2 million people and causing $169.68 billion in economic losses

Asia bore a disproportionate burden of the fatalities, largely due to catastrophic earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan. The region also witnessed a severe drought in Syria, leaving 80% of its population in need of aid. In the Americas, the Palisades and Eaton Fires stood out as some of the costliest wildfires on record.

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Asia accounted for a disproportionately large share of disaster-related deaths, due largely to major earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan.

Pakistan, in particular, faced immense hardship from massive monsoon floods between June and September. These floods, peaking in mid-August, resulted in over 1,000 deaths and affected 6.9 million people, according to Cred data. While heatwaves in Pakistan, India, and Europe were also significant, reporting delays mean many heatwave-related deaths, like drought deaths, are yet to be fully accounted for in the evolving climate impact figures.

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Pakistan experienced massive floods due to monsoon, causing over 1,000 deaths and affecting 6.9m people, says Cred data

From a Pakistani perspective, the sheer scale of the monsoon floods in 2025 is a stark reminder of our vulnerability to climate change. While international reports often focus on global trends, for us, these floods represent a national tragedy, disrupting lives, livelihoods, and the economy on a massive scale. The data showing Pakistan as one of the top ten most affected countries, with 1,037 fatalities solely from floods, underscores the urgency of adaptation and mitigation efforts. The fact that earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan were the deadliest disasters globally highlights the diverse and unpredictable nature of natural hazards we face.

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Cred says the 2025 impact figures are still evolving and may be revised.