Manya Rathore
Research expert covering India
Floods - statistics & facts
Floods were the most common natural disaster on Earth in 2023, accounting for over 40 percent of events worldwide. Although floods are recurrent catastrophes on every continent, some regions are more prone to being affected. With climate change drastically altering weather patterns and increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme events, the economic burden of floods has seen a growth in recent decades.
This is part of a series on the effects of climate change.
While Asia is particularly exposed, no region remains immune to the devastating impacts of flooding. In 2023, the Americas registered the highest number of significant flood events in the world, with at least 68 occurrences. The U.S. was particularly hit by flooding that year. From January to March, nine atmospheric rivers caused severe flooding in California, while heavy rain in July brought severe flooding to the Northeast, causing billions in damage across several states, especially Vermont and New York.
On the economic side, floods can destroy homes, businesses, and vital infrastructure, which comes with a cost. In 2023, economic losses from flooding events amounted to 85 billion U.S. dollars, only behind convective storms and earthquakes in terms of damage from natural disasters. From the total losses, only a small fraction is normally insured, increasing the financial risk to governments, businesses, and households alike. Insured losses caused by floods were estimated at 11.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, the second-highest figure recorded in a decade.
Floods have always been common disasters humans have had to deal with, following their proclivity to build communities around water bodies. Even though countries are used to flooding events, these events have become a growing economic and social burden. Looking forward, it is estimated that the global population exposed to flooding incidents will increase by 24 percent in a 1.5-degree-Celsius warming scenario.
This is part of a series on the effects of climate change.
Most affected regions
In 2024, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand were some of the countries most exposed to flood risk. In fact, with the exception of Egypt, nine of the top 10 countries in terms of exposure to flood risk were in Asia, particularly in the south and eastern regions of the continent. A combination of low average elevation, high incidence of tropical storms and rainfall, and underdeveloped flood protection infrastructure makes these countries especially vulnerable.While Asia is particularly exposed, no region remains immune to the devastating impacts of flooding. In 2023, the Americas registered the highest number of significant flood events in the world, with at least 68 occurrences. The U.S. was particularly hit by flooding that year. From January to March, nine atmospheric rivers caused severe flooding in California, while heavy rain in July brought severe flooding to the Northeast, causing billions in damage across several states, especially Vermont and New York.
The effects of floods
Natural disasters directly affect society year by year, and floods are always at the top of the list. Floods were the natural catastrophe that caused the most internal displacements worldwide in 2023, with nearly 10 million people affected in nearly 150 countries. When considering injures and loss of home, the number of people impacted by floods around the world stood at 32.4 million that same year. Although still a significant figure, the number of people annually affected by floods has decreased in recent decades, in part thanks to the advancement of flood protection infrastructure and risk management strategies.On the economic side, floods can destroy homes, businesses, and vital infrastructure, which comes with a cost. In 2023, economic losses from flooding events amounted to 85 billion U.S. dollars, only behind convective storms and earthquakes in terms of damage from natural disasters. From the total losses, only a small fraction is normally insured, increasing the financial risk to governments, businesses, and households alike. Insured losses caused by floods were estimated at 11.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, the second-highest figure recorded in a decade.
Floods have always been common disasters humans have had to deal with, following their proclivity to build communities around water bodies. Even though countries are used to flooding events, these events have become a growing economic and social burden. Looking forward, it is estimated that the global population exposed to flooding incidents will increase by 24 percent in a 1.5-degree-Celsius warming scenario.
