Number of people affected by disaster in China

China: Number of people affected by disaster was 1.68 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.68 million
Change on year
down 44.8%
World rank
7th
of 122 countries
All-time high
12.24 million
in 2016
All-time low
428,188
in 2021
Years of data
9
2015–2023

Number of people affected by disaster in China, 2015–2023

02.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M2015201920232015: 8.7M2016: 12.2M2017: 6.7M2018: 6.5M2019: 6.3M2020: 7.3M2021: 428.2k2022: 3.1M2023: 1.7M

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of people affected by disaster in China is 1.68 million, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 44.8% on the previous year and down 80.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of people affected by disaster in China peaked at 12.24 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 428,188, in 2021.

China ranks 7th of 122 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Number of people affected by disaster in China, year by year

Annual values for Number of people affected by disaster (number) in China, 2015 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2015 8.68 million
2016 12.24 million +41.0%
2017 6.66 million -45.6%
2018 6.49 million -2.5%
2019 6.34 million -2.3%
2020 7.30 million +15.1%
2021 428,188 -94.1%
2022 3.05 million +612.8%
2023 1.68 million -44.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 8.08 million 6.34 million 12.24 million 5
2020s 3.12 million 428,188 7.30 million 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 4 Philippines 12.09 million compare
  2. 5 Niger 4.32 million compare
  3. 6 Thailand 2.73 million compare
  4. 8 Namibia 1.21 million compare
  5. 9 South Africa 1.04 million compare
  6. 10 Ukraine 904,289 compare

See the full ranking of 136 places →

More climate change data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of people affected by disaster in China?
Number of people affected by disaster in China was 1.68 million in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest number of people affected by disaster recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 12.24 million in 2016.
What is the lowest number of people affected by disaster recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 428,188 in 2021.
How does China rank for number of people affected by disaster?
China ranks 7th out of 122 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of people affected by disaster rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 80.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Number of people affected by disaster (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of people affected by disaster in China. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-people-affected-by-disaster-number/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of people affected by disaster (number)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
136 places, 1,890 data points, 2005–2025
Last refreshed