Alpha News

Global Natural Disaster Costs Reach $127 Billion in 2025

Published February 12, 2026, 14:29

In 2025, natural disasters caused $127 billion in insured damages, with payouts exceeding $100 billion for the sixth consecutive year. However, total global damages reached $260 billion, the lowest level since 2015. This difference is due to the fact that the United States frequently experiences severe disasters with high insurance coverage, while in developing countries, most damages remain uninsured. More than 54% of global damages occurred in the United States, with insurance companies covering about half of the total economic losses worldwide. The insurance gap reaches 51%, the lowest rate ever recorded. Severe storms are the most expensive insured hazard, surpassing tropical cyclones. In 2025, storms caused $61 billion in insured damages, the third-highest annual total on record. California wildfires caused economic losses of $58 billion, with insured losses of $41 billion. In 2025, 42,000 people died from natural disasters, mainly due to earthquakes and heatwaves, a rate 45% lower than the 20th-century average. The earthquake in Myanmar and the heatwaves were the deadliest disasters. Extreme heat caused more than 25,000 deaths worldwide, remaining one of the leading causes of death related to natural disasters.