Natural Disasters Claim 742 Lives in China So Far This Year
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Natural disasters have claimed 742 lives across China and caused 217.7 billion yuan ($29.9 billion) in direct economic losses in the first three quarters of 2025, with floods and geological disasters in North and Southwest China accounting for the bulk of the damage.
The total number of people affected by those natural disasters stood at 55.1 million, according to a report released Friday by the National Disaster Reduction and Relief Committee Office and the Ministry of Emergency Management. While the overall impact was lighter than in recent years, with the number of affected people dropping 45% from the five-year average, a period of extreme weather over the summer brought devastating consequences to northern regions.
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- In the first nine months of 2025, 742 people died and economic losses totaled 217.7 billion yuan ($29.9 billion) from natural disasters in China, affecting 55.1 million people.
- Floods and geological disasters, mainly in the North and Southwest, accounted for 75% of deaths; a July-August period caused 41% of fatalities and 48% of losses.
- Extreme heat, drought, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake, increased typhoons, and lighter freeze/snow impacts also shaped the disaster profile.
- Beginning of 2025：
- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri county, Xizang, contributing 17% of the total deaths and missing persons from natural disasters in China.
- Early 2025：
- Drought affected agriculture in the southern region of Guangxi.
- First three quarters of 2025：
- Natural disasters claimed 742 lives, affected 55.1 million people, and caused 217.7 billion yuan ($29.9 billion) in direct economic losses across China.
- Summer of 2025：
- A period of extreme weather caused devastating consequences in northern China.
- July 16, 2025 to August 15, 2025：
- The most destructive period for natural disasters in China in 2025, accounting for 41% of fatalities and 48% of economic losses for the first nine months of the year.
- July 23, 2025 to July 29, 2025：
- An extraordinary downpour in North and Northeast China caused flooding, resulting in 144 people dead or missing in Beijing and Hebei.
- August 2025：
- Severe floods in Gansu and Inner Mongolia led to 73 deaths or missing persons.
- By October 17, 2025：
- The National Disaster Reduction and Relief Committee Office and the Ministry of Emergency Management released a report detailing the year’s disaster statistics.
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