Executive Summary
In 2025,1 the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 358 natural hazard-related
disasters.2 These events resulted in 16,607 fatalities, affected 110.2 million people and
caused US$169.68B in economic losses. Asia accounted for a disproportionately large share
of disaster-related deaths, due largely to major earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan.
The year was also marked by a record-breaking drought in Syria, which left 80% of the
population in need of assistance; and by the Palisades and Eaton Fires, which ranked among
the costliest wildfires ever recorded, both globally and in the United States of America.
