Christian Aid: New report reveals cost of climate change in 2025

Source: Christian Aid

2025 was a year of devastating climate extremes. From deadly heatwaves and record-breaking wildfires to floods, cyclones and droughts that overwhelmed communities, the impacts of climate change were impossible to ignore.

Christian Aid's new report: Counting the Cost 2025, A Year of Climate Breakdown, reveals the true financial and human cost of the world's most destructive climate disasters. The ten most financially costly events each caused more than $1 billion in damage, with combined losses topping $122 billion. These figures are largely based on insured losses, meaning the real cost especially to people's lives and livelihoods is likely far higher.

No continent was spared from crippling climate disasters in 2025. The United States bore the greatest financial cost, with wildfires in California alone causing more than $60 billion in damage and killing over 400 people. Cyclones and floods across Southeast Asia killed more than 1,750 people and caused $25 billion in losses, while devastating floods in China displaced thousands and caused $11.7 billion in damage.

At the same time, some of the most devastating impacts were felt in poorer countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis. Flooding in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo killed hundreds, while droughts across parts of West Asia now threaten millions with severe water shortages. Many of these events don't appear among the costliest because insurance coverage is limited but their human cost is immense.

Patrick Watt, Christian Aid, CEO said: "Violent storms, devastating floods and prolonged droughts are turning lives and livelihoods upside down. The poorest communities are first and worst affected."

Report Author and Head of Global Advocacy and Policy, Oliver Pearce, writes: "These extreme events highlight the urgent need to cut carbon emissions, accelerate the transition to renewable energy, and provide funding for communities most vulnerable to climate impacts.

"2026 must be the year governments lead. Please help us spread the word by sharing this report on social media, so more people understand the true cost of climate disasters and the action needed to change our current trajectory."

Read the report here: www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/our-work/counting-cost-2025?