Overview
- Released in Belém, the index compiles three decades of data covering more than 9,700 extreme weather events, about 830,000 deaths, and roughly $4.5 trillion in inflation‑adjusted direct damages.
- Dominica ranks as the most affected country over 1995–2024, followed by Myanmar and Honduras, with the 11 worst‑hit states all non‑industrial and home to more than three billion people.
- Germany is unusually high among industrial nations, placing 29th over the full period and 50th in the latest annual ranking, with roughly 24,400 weather‑related deaths—mostly from heatwaves—and about €112 billion in losses.
- Heatwaves present the greatest risk to human life, storms inflict the largest material damage, and floods account for most people directly affected, according to the report’s authors.
- Germanwatch connects the findings to calls at COP30 for expanded, sustained finance, as a UN analysis estimates developing countries will require at least $310 billion per year for adaptation through 2035.