According to Swiss Re, insured losses from natural catastrophes worldwide will exceed the USD 100 billion threshold for the sixth time in a row. The main drivers in 2025 are devastating forest fires in California and severe thunderstorms in the USA.
Global insured losses from natural disasters are estimated to amount to 107 billion US dollars in 2025. Although this is around 24% below the exceptionally high figure for the previous year, it remains well above the long-term average. The persistently high claims burden underscores the structural upward trend in climate-related risks.
USA dominates the global claims picture
At around 89 billion US dollars, the USA accounts for around 83% of insured NatCat losses worldwide. Forest fires and so-called Severe Convective Storms (SCS) – i.e. severe thunderstorm events with hail, strong winds and tornadoes – are particularly significant.
Record losses due to forest fires in California
The wildfires in the Los Angeles area caused insured losses of around 40 billion US dollars and are considered the most expensive wildfire event worldwide. In addition to extreme weather conditions, increasing development in endangered wildland-urban interface zones contributed to the high losses.
Thunderstorms as a permanent problem for insurers
Severe thunderstorms caused insured losses of around USD 50 billion worldwide in 2025, making it the third most expensive SCS year ever. The large number of individual, comparatively small events poses particular challenges for insurers, as their cumulative effect often only becomes apparent after a time lag.
Quiet hurricane season – with one exception
Although the Atlantic hurricane season was meteorologically active, there were no direct US landfalls. Insured losses were correspondingly low. The strongest storm, Hurricane Melissa, hit Jamaica and caused insured losses of up to USD 2.5 billion.
Asia: Floods with high destructive power
In Southeast Asia, exceptionally heavy rainfall in November led to severe flooding, particularly in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. These events highlight the growing importance of adaptation measures in highly exposed regions.
Prevention and early warning systems are becoming increasingly important
A severe earthquake off the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka in the summer showed how effectively early warning systems can protect lives. Evacuations and improved spatial planning helped to significantly limit damage and the number of victims.
The figures for 2025 confirm this: Natural disasters remain a key risk for insurers worldwide. In addition to underwriting and reinsurance, prevention, risk transparency and resilient infrastructure are increasingly becoming the focus of the industry.
Search:
Sponsors:
