Over the past three decades, the frequency and intensity of storms, floods, heatwaves, and droughts have increased, resulting in severe consequences that have impacted human lives and national economies. These extreme weather events have directly caused the deaths of thousands of people and led to significant economic losses worldwide.
The Climate Risk Index 2025 report reveals the extent to which these extreme climate events have affected the world. It highlights the consequences of climate risks faced by countries over the past 30 years, documenting the human and economic impacts and ranking the most affected nations.
Key Findings of the Climate Risk Index 2025
The Climate Risk Index (CRI) is issued by the non-governmental organization Germanwatch, which focuses on minimizing the impacts of climate change. The report is based on data from the international disaster database EM-DAT, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This report highlights climate risks and the extent of impact caused by extreme weather events between 1993 and 2022 across the globe. During this period, over 765,000 people lost their lives, and direct economic losses were recorded at approximately $4.2 trillion as a result of nearly 9,400 extreme climate events worldwide.
Floods, storms, heatwaves, and droughts were the most impactful phenomena from 1993 to 2022. Storms accounted for 35% of fatalities, followed by heatwaves at 30%, and floods at 27%. Floods, however, affected more people than any other event, being responsible for over half of the total number of people impacted globally.
In terms of economic losses, storms topped the list, representing 56%—or $2.33 trillion—of total global losses. Floods came next, accounting for 32%—or $1.33 trillion—of the losses.
List of the Most Affected Countries
The Climate Risk Index (CRI) ranks the 20 countries most affected by extreme weather events from 1993 to 2022. These include: Dominica, Honduras (Central America), China, Myanmar, Italy, India, Vanuatu, the Philippines, Haiti, Mauritania, Djibouti, Greece, Fiji, Spain, Niger, Eswatini (Africa), Cambodia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Belize (Central America), and Mongolia.
This list shows that extreme events disproportionately affect countries in the Global South or the least developed nations. It includes 13 developing countries, among them 3 small island nations—Dominica, Vanuatu, and Micronesia—which are particularly vulnerable due to weak infrastructure and limited capacity to adapt to climate change, according to the report.
Dominica tops the list of countries most affected by extreme climate events between 1993 and 2022. As a small island nation in the Caribbean, it is frequently exposed to hurricanes, including Hurricane Maria in 2017, which caused damage equivalent to 270% of its GDP. On average, the country experiences a severe storm every two years.
European Countries
The list of the most affected countries over the past 30 years includes three Mediterranean European nations: Italy, Greece, and Spain. According to the report, the primary cause is the series of intense heatwaves between 2003 and 2022, which exacerbated drought conditions. These were accompanied by devastating wildfires in 1998, 2007, and 2022, as well as severe floods in 2019. Together, these events resulted in significant loss of life and extensive material damage, particularly in Spain.
Arab Countries
The Climate Risk Index 2025 report ranked Mauritania 10th globally in terms of exposure and vulnerability to climate-related disasters during the period from 1993 to 2022. Mauritania’s position is primarily attributed to the high number of people affected by extreme weather events—297,714 individuals over the past three decades—equivalent to a rate of 809 affected persons per 100,000 inhabitants. This is in comparison to the country's population, which was approximately 2.613 million in the year 2000.
Mauritania has experienced numerous extreme climate events with significant social, economic, and environmental impacts—particularly the climate fluctuations between major droughts, which have caused severe damage. One notable example is the 2017 drought, which affected the lives of more than 3 million people, representing approximately 99% of the population.
Over the past three decades, Mauritania has suffered from recurrent climate-related disasters. The country was hit by 19 flood events and 8 episodes of severe drought, in addition to several storms and outbreaks of epidemics—risks that continue to escalate with the ongoing effects of climate change.
Ranked 11th is Djibouti, largely due to its high levels of human and economic losses. This is partly attributed to its geographical location—as a small country in the far east of Africa, situated at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The country has faced significant risks from rising sea levels, coastal erosion, droughts, and floods. Sea surface temperatures recorded in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden reflect varying patterns and rates of warming.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Djibouti has experienced 12 episodes of severe drought. Chronic drought between 2008 and 2011 affected half of the rural population, leading to livestock deaths, food and water shortages, and economic losses amounting to 4% of the national GDP. Droughts are especially severe in Djibouti, which is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world.
Djibouti is also exposed to risks of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides due to its location within the Afar Triangle of the African-Arabian Rift System—one of the most tectonically active regions on the planet.
Disasters Becoming the “New Normal”
The report explains that the list of the most affected countries can be divided into two groups: those hit hardest by rare and unusual climate shocks or extreme events—such as Dominica, Honduras, Myanmar, and Vanuatu—and those impacted by frequent extreme events, including China, India, the Philippines, Mauritania, and Djibouti.
Climate science clearly shows that climate change is increasing the risks associated with both categories. It is contributing to the transformation of rare extreme events into ongoing and recurrent threats, creating a “new normal” in affected countries. As a result, all nations are experiencing the impacts of climate change, according to the report.
Extreme climate events have now become increasingly common across the globe. Therefore, the Climate Risk Index 2025 serves as an essential tool for understanding the implications of climate change on countries. It also provides valuable data to support governments in making informed decisions.
The list of the most affected countries is of particular significance. These nations should view the Climate Risk Index findings as an urgent warning that they are at risk of experiencing either recurring or rare and unusual events—prompting the need to take appropriate and proactive measures.
