New Delhi: The number of human lives lost due to natural disasters in India rose sharply to 3,080 in 2024–25, an 18 per cent increase over the previous year and the highest toll in 11 years, according to government data released on World Environment Day.
The latest figures, published in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) EnviStats India 2025 report, show that the death toll from extreme weather events—such as floods, landslides, heatwaves, and lightning—rose significantly from 2,616 in 2023–24. The last time India recorded a higher figure was in 2013–14, when 5,677 deaths were reported.
Human lives lost due to extreme weather events (2001–2025)
| Year | Human Lives Lost |
| 2001–02 | 834 |
| 2002–03 | 898 |
| 2003–04 | 1,992 |
| 2004–05 | 1,995 |
| 2005–06 | 2,698 |
| 2006–07 | 2,402 |
| 2007–08 | 3,764 |
| 2008–09 | 3,405 |
| 2009–10 | 1,677 |
| 2010–11 | 2,310 |
| 2011–12 | 1,600 |
| 2012–13 | 946 |
| 2013–14 | 5,677 |
| 2014–15 | 1,674 |
| 2015–16 | 1,460 |
| 2016–17 | 1,487 |
| 2017–18 | 2,057 |
| 2018–19 | 2,045 |
| 2019–20 | 2,422 |
| 2020–21 | 1,989 |
| 2021–22 | 1,593 |
| 2022–23 | 1,586 |
| 2023–24* | 2,616 |
| 2024–25* | 3,080 |
* Provisional estimates as per EnviStats 2025
Himachal Pradesh worst hit
The worst-hit state in 2024–25 was Himachal Pradesh, which accounted for 452 deaths, followed by Kerala (387), Madhya Pradesh (373), Gujarat (230) and Maharashtra (206). Overall, these five states accounted for over 55 per cent of the national toll.
Beyond the tragic loss of life, natural calamities also caused major damages to livelihoods and infrastructure. The number of houses damaged rose to over 364,000, up from 1,40,000 the year before—a 2.6-fold increase. Assam alone reported damage to 1,60,000 households, the highest in the country.
State-wise deaths due to Natural Extreme Events
| State/UT | No. of Human Lives Lost |
| Himachal Pradesh | 452 |
| Kerala | 387 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 373 |
| Gujarat | 230 |
| Maharashtra | 206 |
| Karnataka | 190 |
| Assam | 128 |
| Chhattisgarh | 125 |
| Tamil Nadu | 120 |
| Tripura | 78 |
| Delhi | 68 |
| Bihar | 64 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 88 |
| Uttarakhand | 88 |
| Rajasthan | 131 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 56 |
| Mizoram | 53 |
| Meghalaya | 43 |
| Telangana | 29 |
| Jammu & Kashmir* | 28 |
| Nagaland | 28 |
| Odisha | 30 |
| Punjab | 25 |
| Sikkim | 13 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 12 |
| Manipur | 11 |
| West Bengal | 14 |
| Goa | 4 |
| Puducherry | 5 |
| Haryana | 1 |
| Dadar and Nagar Haveli | 0 |
| Jharkhand | 0 |
| Total | 3,080 |
*Includes data for both UT of Jammu & Kashmir and UT of Ladakh. Blanks denote no data or zero reported deaths. Data as on 5 May 2025.
Agricultural losses worsened as well
Agricultural losses worsened as well, with 1.42 million hectares of cropped land affected—up from 1.34 million hectares in 2023–24.
Interestingly, while human casualties rose, cattle deaths declined sharply, from nearly 1,20,000 in 2023–24 to just under 62,000 in 2024–25, a drop of nearly 48 per cent.
Despite the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events, government spending on environmental protection saw only a modest rise of 10.9 per cent in 2022–23 to Rs 4,969 crore. In contrast, corporate spending under CSR on environment-related initiatives fell by 5 per cent in the same period.