"Extreme weather, climate and water-related events caused 11 778 reported disasters between 1970 and 2021, with just over 2 million deaths and US$ 4.3 trillion in economic losses," WMO said in a statement.
The organization said that more than 90% of reported deaths occurred in developing countries, while more than 60% of economic losses related to natural disasters were recorded in developed countries.
"The USA alone incurred $1.7 trillion, accounting for 39% of economic losses worldwide in the 51 years. But Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States suffered a disproportionately high cost in relation to the size of their economies," WMO added.
Europe experienced 1,784 disasters that caused 166,492 deaths and $562 billion in economic losses from 1970 to 2021, while extreme temperatures were the leading cause of reported deaths, the statement read.
Meanwhile, the number of recorded deaths from 2020-2021, which stands at 22,608, indicates a further decrease in mortality compared to the annual average of the previous decade, as economic losses increased, with most of them attributed to the storm category.