Interactive: Natural Disasters Around the World Since 1900
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Interactive: Natural Disasters Around the World Since 1900

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Interactive: Natural Disasters Around the World Since 1900

While natural disasters are inevitable and commonplace within the context of human history, that doesn’t lessen our collective shock when they occur.

Here are just a few of the natural disasters that made headlines last year:

  • Haiti was rocked by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people Tens of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed.
  • Super typhoon, Rai, killed 375 people in the Philippines. The storm brought winds as high as 120 mph (193 kph)
  • Landslides in China’s Henan province kill more than 300 people
  • Historic flooding results in more than 200 fatalities in Germany and Belgium
  • Hurricane Ida battered the Gulf Coast, killing 91 people across nine U.S. states

And these are just some of the many events that rounded out a long list of disasters in 2021.

The interactive dashboard above was created by Our World in Data, using data came from EM-DAT, the International Disaster Database. The database aims to rationalize decision making for disaster preparedness and to provide an objective base for vulnerability assessment.

Total Deaths by Natural Disaster in the Last Decade (2010-2019)

In the past decade, approximately 60,000 people per year died from natural disasters. This represents 0.1% of total deaths worldwide.

The chart below breaks down the total deaths by type of natural disaster in the last decade.

Type of Natural DisasterTotal Deaths (2010-2019)
Earthquakes267,480
Extreme Temperatures74,244
Floods50,673
Storms27,632
Droughts20,120
Landslides10,109
Volcanic Activity1,363
Wildfires881
Mass Movement100
TOTAL452,602

Historically, droughts and floods were the most fatal natural disasters.

However, deaths from these events are relatively low now compared to earthquakes, which are by far the most deadly natural disaster in modern times. Over the past decade, earthquakes have killed 267,480 people worldwide, followed by extreme temperatures, which killed 74,244.

The Decline of Deaths from Natural Disasters

Is planet Earth really more dangerous than ever? Let’s take a look at what the data says:

natural disasters

The chart above shows a sharp decline in deaths from natural disasters over the last 100 years.

In the 1920s, the world averaged over 500,000 deaths from natural disasters per year. These were caused by several outlier events: for example, a Tokyo earthquake in 1923 killed over 146,000 people, and drought and famine killed 3 million people in China between 1928 and 1930.

In the 1930s, the number dropped below the 500,000 deaths per year average, but a number of events still put their thumb on the scale. In 1931, floods in China killed over 3.7 million people, and in 1935, an earthquake killed up to 60,000 people in Pakistan, and so on.

But luckily over time, the decadal average has dropped to fewer than 100,000 deaths per year. And if we consider the rate of population growth, then the decline over the past century has been even more dramatic.

Our awareness of natural disasters has increased dramatically along with global access to real-time information, and thankfully, these occurrences are less deadly than they once were.

How to Navigate this Interactive Visualization

how to use this viz

The dashboard above is packed with useful views and data. Some of the features to highlight are:

The Top Navigation
– Type of disaster: The options include: drought, earthquakes, floods, storms, volcanoes, extreme temperatures
– Impact: The impact of the natural disaster is measured in: deaths, injuries, affected, homeless, and more
– Timespan: The selection allows for average by decade and year
– Per capita: The impact is measured in per capita terms instead of total numbers

The Left Bar
– Filter the data by country and region
– Filter the data by type of disaster and related effects (e.g. deaths, economic impacts)

The Bottom Tabs
– Bar Chart: All data selected is displayed in a bar chart format
– Map: Data is shown by country in a heat map. Click “Play” at the bottom left to view data for different decades
– Table: The same data that is displayed in the visualization is shown in table format
– Sources: All the data sources and calculations are clearly displayed in this tab
– Download: This option allows downloading the image in PNG, SVG, and full data in CSV

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Maps

Mapped: Countries With the Highest Share of International Migrants

Gulf states like Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait have among the highest shares of international migrants in their populations.

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A global map showing the top countries with the highest share of international migrants in its population

Countries With Highest Proportion of International Migrants

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

The number of international migrants worldwide hit 304 million in 2024, a figure that has doubled since 1990.

As people relocate across borders for reasons ranging from work opportunities to conflict and displacement, certain countries have become major destinations for foreign-born populations.

This map visualizes the top 20 countries with the highest proportion of international migrants in their populations as of 2024, based on data from the United Nations.

An international migrant is defined as someone living in a country other than their birth country for at least 12 months, regardless of reasons or status.

Which Country Has the Highest Share of International Migrants?

Below, we show countries by share of international migrants in their population.

RankCountryShare (%) of international migrants in total population (2024)
1🇶🇦 Qatar76.7
2🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates74.0
3🇲🇨 Monaco70.2
4🇱🇮 Liechtenstein69.4
5🇰🇼 Kuwait67.3
6🇦🇩 Andorra59.1
7🇧🇭 Bahrain52.3
8🇱🇺 Luxembourg51.2
9🇸🇬 Singapore48.7
10🇯🇴 Jordan45.7
11🇴🇲 Oman43.2
12🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia40.3
13🇲🇹 Malta37.0
14🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda32.5
15🇨🇭 Switzerland31.1
16🇦🇺 Australia30.4
17🇵🇼 Palau29.5
18🇳🇿 New Zealand28.2
19🇧🇳 Brunei25.9
20🇦🇹 Austria25.5
21🇮🇸 Iceland25.1
22🇱🇧 Lebanon24.5
23🇫🇲 Micronesia23.4
24🇮🇪 Ireland23.1
25🇮🇱 Israel22.3
26🇨🇦 Canada22.2
27🇸🇪 Sweden21.4
28🇳🇷 Nauru21.3
29🇧🇪 Belgium20.0
30🇩🇪 Germany19.8
31🇪🇸 Spain18.5
32🇳🇴 Norway18.2
33🇬🇦 Gabon17.7
34🇸🇲 San Marino17.4
35🇬🇧 United Kingdom17.1
36🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis17.0
37🇧🇸 Bahamas16.8
38🇧🇿 Belize16.5
39🇳🇱 Netherlands16.2
40🇺🇸 United States15.2
41🇨🇾 Cyprus14.9
42🇪🇪 Estonia14.9
43🇸🇮 Slovenia14.9
44🇲🇪 Montenegro14.4
45🇩🇰 Denmark14.2
46🇬🇷 Greece14.2
47🇲🇻 Maldives14.2
48🇫🇷 France13.8
49🇭🇷 Croatia13.6
50🇺🇦 Ukraine13.4
51🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea13.2
52🇩🇲 Dominica12.7
53🇧🇧 Barbados12.5
54🇨🇷 Costa Rica12.2
55🇱🇾 Libya12.2
56🇱🇻 Latvia11.8
57🇧🇾 Belarus11.6
58🇮🇹 Italy11.0
59🇩🇯 Djibouti10.8
60🇵🇹 Portugal10.8
61🇲🇾 Malaysia10.7
62🇵🇦 Panama10.6
63🇷🇸 Serbia10.6
64🇸🇨 Seychelles10.2
65🇰🇿 Kazakhstan10.1
66🇨🇿 Czechia9.5
67🇸🇭 Saint Helena9.4
68🇦🇲 Armenia9.2
69🇫🇮 Finland9.2
70🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire9.0
71🇲🇭 Marshall Islands8.8
72🇬🇲 Gambia8.6
73🇲🇰 North Macedonia8.3
74🇸🇷 Suriname8.2
75🇹🇷 Türkiye8.1
76🇨🇱 Chile7.8
77🇸🇸 South Sudan7.7
78🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago7.5
79🇭🇺 Hungary7.1
80🇧🇹 Bhutan7.0
81🇩🇴 Dominican Republic6.5
82🇬🇾 Guyana6.5
83🇹🇩 Chad6.3
84🇬🇩 Grenada6.3
85🇲🇩 Moldova6.2
86🇨🇬 Congo6.1
87🇱🇹 Lithuania6.1
88🇸🇰 Slovakia5.9
89🇨🇴 Colombia5.8
90🇵🇪 Peru5.4
91🇷🇺 Russia5.3
92🇵🇸 State of Palestine5.0
93 Saint Vincent and Grenadines4.8
94🇸🇩 Sudan4.8
95🇺🇾 Uruguay4.7
96🇧🇼 Botswana4.6
97🇵🇱 Poland4.5
98🇱🇨 Saint Lucia4.5
99🇧🇬 Bulgaria4.4
100🇹🇭 Thailand4.4
101🇻🇪 Venezuela4.4
102🇦🇷 Argentina4.3
103🇮🇷 Iran4.2
104🇪🇨 Ecuador4.1
105🇿🇦 South Africa4.1
106🇺🇬 Uganda4.1
107🇲🇷 Mauritania3.8
108🇳🇦 Namibia3.8
109🇷🇼 Rwanda3.6
110🇸🇾 Syria3.6
111🇰🇷 South Korea3.5
112🇷🇴 Romania3.4
113🇹🇴 Tonga3.4
114🇺🇿 Uzbekistan3.2
115🇧🇫 Burkina Faso3.1
116🇨🇻 Cabo Verde3.1
117🇹🇬 Togo3.0
118🇧🇯 Benin2.9
119🇧🇮 Burundi2.8
120🇯🇵 Japan2.8
121🇸🇿 Eswatini2.7
122🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan2.7
123🇵🇾 Paraguay2.6
124🇹🇯 Tajikistan2.6
125🇹🇲 Turkmenistan2.6
126🇹🇻 Tuvalu2.6
127🇿🇼 Zimbabwe2.6
128🇰🇮 Kiribati2.5
129🇲🇺 Mauritius2.3
130🇨🇲 Cameroon2.2
131🇲🇱 Mali2.2
132🇦🇿 Azerbaijan2.1
133🇬🇪 Georgia2.1
134🇦🇴 Angola1.8
135🇨🇫 Central African Republic1.8
136🇰🇪 Kenya1.8
137🇼🇸 Samoa1.8
138🇦🇱 Albania1.7
139🇧🇩 Bangladesh1.7
140🇳🇬 Niger1.7
141🇵🇰 Pakistan1.7
142🇳🇵 Nepal1.6
143🇧🇴 Bolivia1.5
144🇫🇯 Fiji1.5
145🇬🇭 Ghana1.5
146🇸🇳 Senegal1.5
147🇰🇲 Comoros1.4
148🇱🇷 Liberia1.3
149🇲🇽 Mexico1.3
150🇿🇲 Zambia1.2
151🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina1.1
152🇨🇩 DR Congo1.0
153🇪🇬 Egypt1.0
154🇲🇿 Mozambique1.0
155🇻🇺 Vanuatu1.0
156🇾🇪 Yemen1.0
157🇪🇹 Ethiopia0.9
158🇲🇼 Malawi0.9
159🇬🇳 Guinea0.8
160🇮🇶 Iraq0.8
161🇯🇲 Jamaica0.8
162🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe0.8
163🇧🇷 Brazil0.7
164🇸🇻 El Salvador0.7
165🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau0.7
166 Laos0.7
167🇹🇿 Tanzania0.7
168🇩🇿 Algeria0.6
169🇱🇸 Lesotho0.6
170🇲🇳 Mongolia0.6
171🇳🇮 Nicaragua0.6
172🇳🇬 Nigeria0.6
173🇸🇱 Sierra Leone0.6
174🇹🇱 Timor-Leste0.6
175🇰🇭 Cambodia0.5
176🇬🇹 Guatemala0.5
177🇹🇳 Tunisia0.5
178🇪🇷 Eritrea0.4
179🇭🇳 Honduras0.4
180🇸🇴 Somalia0.4
181🇮🇳 India0.3
182🇲🇦 Morocco0.3
183🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea0.3
184🇸🇧 Solomon Islands0.3
185🇻🇳 Vietnam0.3
186🇦🇫 Afghanistan0.2
187🇰🇵 North Korea0.2
188🇭🇹 Haiti0.2
189🇮🇩 Indonesia0.2
190🇱🇰 Sri Lanka0.2
191🇨🇳 China0.1
192🇲🇬 Madagascar0.1
193🇲🇲 Myanmar0.1
194🇵🇭 Philippines0.1
195🇨🇺 Cuba0.0

In 2024, Qatar had the world’s highest share of foreign-born residents, with international migrants making up over three-quarters (76.7%) of its population.

Several Gulf states like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait ranked at the top of the list, as their economies rely heavily on foreign labor, with migrants making up an overwhelming majority of their workforces.

These countries host higher proportions of international migrants largely due to the kafala system—a sponsorship-based labor framework that ties foreign workers to their employers—drawing million of people for low-wage jobs.

Several small European countries such as Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Andorra also have high shares of migrants, largely due to their small populations and roles as financial or tourism hubs.

U.S. is Still Home to the Most Migrants

By total population, the U.S. recorded the highest number of international migrants in 2024 at 52.4 million.

Mexico to the U.S. was the busiest migrant corridor in the world by far in 2024, with over 10 million people born in Mexico now residing in the United States.

Europe hosted more international migrants than any other region with 94 million in 2024, followed by Northern America—which includes the U.S., Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon—at 61 million.

These two regions have long been top destinations for immigration over the past few decades.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about international migration, check out this graphic that visualized international migration flows to each U.S. state.

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