China's natural disaster losses hit $30b in first nine months of 2026
Rescue team personnel wade in a flooded road as they evacuate residents following heavy rains in Zhuozhou, in northern China s Hebei province on August 2, 2023. The death toll from floods in northern China's Hebei province has risen to 29, state media reported on August 11, 2023, after record-breaking rains pummelled the region in recent weeks. PHOTO: AFP
China recorded 199.36 billion yuan ($29.9 billion) in direct losses from natural disasters in the first nine months of 2026, mainly driven by severe typhoons, flooding and landslides, its Ministry of Emergency Management said on Thursday.
The losses were down 8 per cent from 217.65 billion yuan over the same period last year. Southwestern and southern China accounted for the majority of affected populations and fatalities.
"Several sudden extreme disasters in southern regions led to a significant increase in deaths and missing persons compared to the five-year average," the ministry said.
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Overall, 1,162 people have died or have been classified as missing from China's natural disasters in the first nine months of the year, up from 742 a year earlier.
Eastern coastal provinces suffered the heaviest property destruction and economic losses due to repeated typhoon landfalls.
Geological hazards, which include rain-triggered landslides and mudslides, caused the highest proportion of fatalities and made up 60% of all disaster types, while typhoons caused the largest amount of direct financial damage, the ministry added.