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THE MORNING EDITIONInsurance. Risk. A changing world.
Morning edition / 29 October 2026Two editions a day, wire updated in between · How we report · The team

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Risk & Catastrophe · Government data

China puts nine-month natural disaster losses at 199bn yuan, 8% lower than a year ago, as typhoons cause most damage

China's Ministry of Emergency Management put direct economic losses from natural disasters in January to September 2026 at 199.36bn yuan (about $29.9bn), 8% lower than a year earlier, with typhoons the costliest hazard. The number of dead or missing rose to 1,162 from 742. No insured loss figure was given.

insurewire.org editorial desk
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Included in the evening edition of 23 October 2026
Illustration of a coastal plain with low buildings and an embankment, with a distant typhoon cloud over the sea.
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Natural disasters did 199.36bn yuan, or roughly $29.9bn, of direct economic damage in China between January and September 2026, according to Ministry of Emergency Management figures reported by Reuters. That is 8% less than the 217.65bn yuan counted for the same months of 2025.

Typhoons were the costliest hazard. Seven of the 26 storms that formed over the north-west Pacific and South China Sea by the end of September came ashore in China, and both counts exceed the historical average. In economic terms, the eastern coastal provinces were hit hardest by the repeated landfalls.

The fall in losses did not extend to casualties: the ministry counted 1,162 people dead or missing, up from 742 a year earlier, and more than 5 million had to move or take emergency shelter. The figures cover economic damage only; the report gives no insured share.

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Carrier Management (Reuters) ↗

News publisher · 23 Oct 2026

This is an original brief based on the linked publication. Company statements and forecasts are attributed to their source.

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