In 2012, 357 natural triggered disasters were registered. This was both less than the average annual disaster frequency observed from 2002 to 2011 (394), and represented a decrease in associated human impacts of disasters in 2012, which were at their lowest level compared to previous years. However, natural disasters still killed a significant number, a total of 9,655 people were killed (annual average 2002-2011:107,000) and 124.5 million people become victims worldwide (annual average 2002-2011:268 million)
Over the last decade, China, the United States, the Philippines, India and Indonesia constitute together the top 5 countries that are most frequently hit by natural disasters. In 2012, China experienced its fourth highest number of natural disasters of the last decade. The country was affected by a variety of disasters types, including 13 floods and landslides, 8 storms, 7 earthquakes and one period of extreme temperature.
Amongst the top 10 countries in terms of disaster mortality in 2012, six countries are classified as low-income or lower-middle income economies and four as high-income or upper-middle income economies (see World Bank income classification). These countries accounted for 68.2% of global reported disaster mortality in 2012. The single deadliest disaster was typhoon Bopha which killed 1,901 people in Philippines.
In 2012, geophysical reported damages (US$ 18.6 billion) were low compared to their 2002-2011 average of US$ 47 billion and the two earthquakes in the region of Ferrare, in Italia, (US$ 15.8 billion) account for 85 % of these damages.
The lower number of reported natural disasters in 2012 (357), when compared to the annual average occurrence from 2002 to 2011 (394), was mostly due to a smaller number of hydrological and meteorological disasters, below their 2002-2011 annual average. Hydrological disasters still took by far the largest share in natural disaster occurrence in 2012 (38.5%), followed by meteorological disasters (25.3%), geophysical disasters (8.4%) and climatological disasters (7.3%).
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