In 2022, floods caused the death of roughly 7,400 people across the globe. Nevertheless, this death toll is dwarfed in comparison to the peak recorded in 1999. That year, some 35,000 people died as a result of floods, mostly the consequence of one of the deadliest flood incidents of the previous century, which hit Venezuela in December.
The effects of flooding
While the death toll is the most critical impact of flooding incidents, it is not the only one. For example, more than 54 million people were impacted by floods worldwide in 2022, including those injured, affected or left homeless. In 2010 alone, almost 200 million people were affected. Floods also incur massive economic damage by destroying buildings and infrastructure. Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Myanmar were the most exposed to flooding as of 2023.
Climate change and flooding
As climate change causes global temperatures to rise, floods are expected to increase in frequency and severity. A warmer atmosphere is able to retain more moisture, leading to an increase in intense downpours. It also affects snowmelt patterns. According to a 2022 report, the global population exposed to flood was expected to rise by 24 percent in the case of an increase in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Number of deaths due to floods worldwide from 1960 to 2022
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OWID. (September 22, 2023). Number of deaths due to floods worldwide from 1960 to 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293207/global-number-of-deaths-due-to-flood/
OWID. "Number of deaths due to floods worldwide from 1960 to 2022." Chart. September 22, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293207/global-number-of-deaths-due-to-flood/
OWID. (2023). Number of deaths due to floods worldwide from 1960 to 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 20, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293207/global-number-of-deaths-due-to-flood/
OWID. "Number of Deaths Due to Floods Worldwide from 1960 to 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 Sep 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293207/global-number-of-deaths-due-to-flood/
OWID, Number of deaths due to floods worldwide from 1960 to 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293207/global-number-of-deaths-due-to-flood/ (last visited September 20, 2024)
Number of deaths due to floods worldwide from 1960 to 2022 [Graph], OWID, September 22, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293207/global-number-of-deaths-due-to-flood/