Direct losses from natural catastrophic events in China in the first nine months of 2026 touched CNY199.4bn ($29.9bn), according to China's Ministry of Emergency Management. The losses were down by 8% from CNY217.65bn in the same period in 2025.
The Ministry in its release said the losses were mainly driven by severe typhoons, flooding and landslides. Southwestern and southern China accounted for the majority of affected populations and fatalities.
The catastrophic flash floods along Tibet-Nepal border in August 2026 left 562 people dead or missing.
"Several sudden extreme disasters in southern regions led to a significant increase in deaths and missing persons compared to the five-year-average." Overall, 1,162 people died or have been classified as missing from the natural disasters in the first nine months of 2026. In 2025 the figure for the same period was 742.
Geological hazards, which include rain-triggered landslides and mudslides, caused the highest proportion of fatalities and made up 60% of all disaster ?types, while typhoons caused the largest amount of direct financial damage, the ministry said.
More than 5 million people were forced to relocate or seek emergency shelter ?across the country during the nine-month period. Eastern coastal provinces suffered the heaviest property destruction and economic losses due to repeated typhoon landfalls.
A total of 26 typhoons formed in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea through September, ?with seven making landfall along China's coastline — both figures exceeding the historical averages for the same time frame.