Deaths from Natural Disasters by Chimdi Nwosu

This visualization explores the global toll of natural disasters from 1900 to 2020, providing a comprehensive analysis of deaths by region, disaster category, and country. It highlights trends over time, regional impacts, and the most devastating disaster types.

Decadal Trends
Deaths peaked in the 1920s, with over 523,000 fatalities worldwide. Advancements in early warning systems and disaster response have significantly reduced fatalities over the past century. However, the 21st century saw an increase in specific regions, such as North America, and in disaster types like extreme temperatures.

Regional and Disaster Insights
Asia accounts for the majority of disaster-related deaths (84.6%), driven by high fatalities from droughts, floods, and earthquakes. Other regions, such as Europe and Africa, show lower but notable impacts. By category, droughts and floods have caused the most deaths globally, contributing to over 80% of the total.

Country-Level Analysis
China emerges as the most affected country, with over 1 million fatalities during the period, far exceeding other nations. A treemap provides an interactive view of deaths by country, highlighting the stark disparities in disaster impacts worldwide.