The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) Natural Disasters Data Book 2015 provides statistical perspectives in figures and tables for 2015 as well as for the period 1986-2015 based on data obtained by EM-DAT.

  According to EM-DAT, 394 natural disasters occurred in 2015 worldwide, killing 23,834 people and affecting over 110 million people. The estimated amount of economic damage came close to US$72.7 billion.

  In 2015, the earthquake that hit Nepal in April and May brought about serious damages to the country. The disaster killed nearly 9,000 people and caused largest economic damage worth US$5.1 billion, which ranked the highest.

  On the other hand, the drought in North Korea has largest 18.0 million people in the world in 2015.

  By region, Asia is ranked the highest in all the indices of disaster occurrences, the number of people killed and affected and economic damage. Asia accounts for 44.9 percent in occurrences; number of people killed, 68.7 percent; number of affected people, 61.4 percent; and amount of economic damage, 47.4 percent.

  Worldwide disaster trends in composition of indices and top shares of impacts vary by disaster type. For instance, flood made up the largest share of 40.6 percent of all disaster occurrences; earthquake, 40.1 percent of number of people killed; drought, 50.1 percent of affected people; and storm, 45.3 percent of total amount of economic damage.