India among worst hit: Climate disasters cause over $120 billion damage globally in 2025

Climate change-driven disasters such as floods, heatwaves, wildfires and cyclones caused more than $120 billion in damage worldwide in 2025, according to a new report by international aid agency Christian Aid. The report says India was among the countries worst affected by extreme weather during the year.

The report, Counting the Cost 2025, lists the 10 most expensive climate-related disasters of the year. Each of these caused losses of more than $1 billion. Together, they caused damages of over $122 billion. Most of the figures are based on insured losses, which means the actual financial impact is likely to be much higher.

In India and Pakistan, heavy monsoon rainfall led to large-scale flooding and landslides. More than 1,860 people were killed, and losses were estimated at up to $5.6 billion. The floods affected millions, with over 7 million people impacted in Pakistan alone, the report said.

“These disasters are not ‘natural’ — they are the predictable result of continued fossil fuel expansion and political delay,” said Joanna Haigh, Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Imperial College London.

Asia accounted for four of the six costliest climate disasters in 2025. Apart from India and Pakistan, typhoons in the Philippines caused more than $5 billion in damage and displaced over 1.4 million people. Cyclones and floods across South and Southeast Asia in November killed more than 1,750 people and caused losses of $25 billion across Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Malaysia.

The most expensive single disaster was the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in California, which caused more than $60 billion in damage and led to over 400 deaths. This was followed by flooding in China, which displaced thousands, caused $11.7 billion in damage, and killed at least 30 people.

The report also lists 10 other extreme weather events that did not rank among the costliest because insurance coverage was low. These events still caused serious human and environmental damage, especially in poorer countries. They included flooding in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with possibly up to 700 deaths in Nigeria alone. A long drought in Iran and West Asia threatened nearly 10 million people in Tehran with possible evacuation due to water shortages.

Christian Aid said no region of the world was spared in 2025. Major disasters were recorded across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australia. These included wildfires in Scotland, drought in Brazil, and cyclones in Australia and Réunion Island.

Patrick Watt, CEO of Christian Aid, said the year again showed the serious impact of climate change.

“This year has once again shown the stark reality of climate breakdown. Violent storms, devastating floods and prolonged droughts are turning lives and livelihoods upside down. The poorest communities are first and worst affected,” he said.

Christian Aid called for urgent cuts in carbon emissions, faster use of renewable energy, and more financial support for vulnerable communities. It warned that without quick action, both economic losses and human suffering from climate disasters will continue to grow.