The Climate Risk Index (CRI) ranks countries based on how much they’re affected by extreme weather, like floods, storms, and heatwaves. The latest report shows that these events are causing more damage than ever, both to people and the economy. It’s a clear sign that we need to take stronger action and build better protection against climate change.
The Climate Risk Index (CRI) has been published every year since 2006, making it one of the longest-running reports on the impact of extreme weather caused by climate change. It looks at how much damage climate-related events—like storms, floods, and heatwaves—have caused in different countries.
The CRI ranks countries based on both the human toll (such as deaths, injuries, and people displaced) and the economic costs. The countries hit hardest by these events are ranked at the top of the list.
The index focuses on data from two years before the report’s release, as well as trends over the past 30 years. Its goal is to help inform global climate policy by showing which countries are most at risk. By highlighting where extreme weather has had the biggest impact, the CRI acts as a warning sign—especially for countries that may face more frequent or more severe weather disasters in the future.
CRI 2025 ranking and results highlights
Scorching heatwaves, intense rainfall, raging wildfires, deadly floods, and powerful storms — extreme weather events have become alarmingly common across the globe. The relaunch of the Climate Risk Index 2025 highlights just how costly inaction on climate change has become, both in human lives and economic damage.
Between 1993 and 2022, over 765,000 people lost their lives due to more than 9,400 extreme weather events, with economic losses reaching nearly USD 4.2 trillion (adjusted for inflation). As these disasters grow more frequent and severe, the message is clear: immediate and meaningful climate action is more urgent than ever.
Top 10 Countries Most Severely Impacted by Climate-Related Disasters
According to the CRI 2025, the countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2022 were:germanwatch.org
- Pakistan
- Belize
- Italy
- Greece
- Spain
- Puerto Rico
- United States
- Nigeria
- Portugal
- Bulgaria
Pakistan topped the list due to exceptionally high economic losses and significant human impacts from severe flooding events.