MUMBAI : The report, Counting the Cost 2025, examined the 10 most expensive climate-related disasters of the year, each causing losses of over $1 billion. Collectively, these events resulted in damages exceeding $122 billion, largely based on insured losses, meaning the true economic cost is likely far higher, the report noted.

In India and Pakistan, intense monsoon rainfall triggered widespread flooding and landslides, killing more than 1,860 people and causing losses of up to $5.6 billion. Millions were affected, with over 7 million people impacted in Pakistan alone.

“These disasters are not ‘natural’ — they are the predictable result of continued fossil fuel expansion and political delay,” said Joanna Haigh, Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Imperial College London.

Asia accounted for four of the six costliest climate disasters in 2025. Beyond India and Pakistan, typhoons in the Philippines caused more than $5 billion in damage and displaced over 1.4 million people. Meanwhile, cyclones and floods across South and Southeast Asia in November killed more than 1,750 people and resulted in losses of $25 billion across Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The single most expensive disaster of the year was the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in California, which caused over $60 billion in damage and claimed more than 400 lives. This was followed by severe flooding in China, which displaced thousands, killed at least 30 people, and caused losses of $11.7 billion.

The report also highlighted 10 other extreme weather events that did not make the costliest list due to low insurance coverage, despite severe human and environmental impacts. These included flooding in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with up to 700 deaths reported in Nigeria alone, and a prolonged drought in Iran and West Asia, which threatened nearly 10 million people in Tehran with possible evacuation due to water shortages.

Christian Aid said no region was spared in 2025, with major disasters recorded across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australia. These included wildfires in Scotland, drought in Brazil, and cyclones affecting Australia and Réunion Island.

The organisation called for urgent cuts in carbon emissions, faster adoption of renewable energy, and increased financial support for vulnerable communities, warning that without swift action, both economic losses and human suffering will continue to rise.