WORLD NATURAL CATASTROPHE LOSSES, 2015
Catastrophes: Global | III
▻http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/catastrophes-global
According to Munich Re, in 2015, for the first time, more than 1,000 natural catastrophes were recorded in a single year. However, this is mainly due to improved communication of such events. 2015 saw the lowest catastrophe losses of any year since 2009. Overall losses totaled $90 billion of which roughly $27 billion was insured. In 2014 overall losses totaled $110 billion of which about $31 billion was insured. The natural catastrophes of 2015 claimed 23,000 lives, substantially more than the previous year’s figure of 7,700. However, the number of victims was still some way below the annual average for the last 30 years (54,000). The year’s most devastating natural catastrophe was the earthquake in Nepal, which occurred on April 25 northwest of the capital Kathmandu and reached a magnitude of 7.8.