• Libya, Mozambique and Malawi ranked as Africa’s most affected countries by extreme weather events from 1995–2024, according to Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index 2026.

• Cyclone Daniel caused almost all of Libya’s climate-related losses, killing 13,200 people, affecting 1.6 million and generating $6 billion in economic damages.

• Extreme weather caused 832,000 deaths and USD 4.5 trillion in global losses over 30 years, with heatwaves and storms responsible for 66% of fatalities.

Human-driven climate change continues to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events worldwide. Several African states remain among the most vulnerable globally.

Germanwatch published its “Climate Risk Index 2026 — Who Suffers Most From Extreme Weather Events?” on 11 November 2025. The report identifies Libya, Mozambique and Malawi as the African countries most affected by extreme weather events between 1995 and 2024.

The document analyses exposure levels in 174 countries and territories, tracking heatwaves, floods, storms, droughts and wildfires. Germanwatch bases its rankings on three indicators: economic losses, number of deaths and number of people affected.

The index relies on Emergency Events Database/EM-DAT, the international disaster database used by the World Bank and the IMF. The methodology excludes sea-level rise, ocean acidification and warming, as well as geological events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.

Libya ranks 4th worldwide, making it Africa’s most affected country. Cyclone Daniel, which hit the country in 2023, killed 13,200 people, affected 1.6 million, and caused $6 billion in damages. Germanwatch states that Cyclone Daniel accounts for almost all deaths, impacts and economic losses linked to extreme weather in Libya over the 1995–2024 period.

Mozambique ranks 23rd globally and second in Africa, followed by Malawi in 25th place. Zimbabwe (34th), Kenya (39th), Madagascar (42nd), Ethiopia (47th), Niger (50th) and South Africa (53rd) complete Africa’s top ten. Sudan ranks 59th globally and closes the continental top tier.

The report places the Dominican Republic first worldwide, driven by recurrent hurricanes. Hurricane Maria caused $1.8 billion in damages in 2017, nearly three times the country’s GDP.

Myanmar ranks second globally, ahead of Honduras, Libya, Haiti, Grenada, the Philippines, Nicaragua, India and the Bahamas. The index shows that the frequency and severity of extreme weather increased across all regions over the past three decades.More than 832,000 deaths and over $4.5 trillion in inflation-adjusted losses resulted from more than 9,700 events.

Heatwaves and storms accounted for 33% of deaths each. Floods affected 48% of all impacted individuals. Storms generated 58% of total economic losses, or $2.64 trillion.

Germanwatch states that extreme weather affects all countries but hits the Global South harder. Between 1995 and 2024, six of the ten most affected countries had lower-middle-income status, with significantly lower adaptation capacities than developed economies.

This article was initially published in French by Walid Kéfi 

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Ranking of African Countries Most Affected by Extreme Weather Events (1995–2024)

Source: Germanwatch — Climate Risk Index 2026

1. Libya (4th)

2. Mozambique (23rd)

3. Malawi (25th)

4. Zimbabwe (34th)

5. Kenya (39th)

6. Madagascar (42nd)

7. Ethiopia (47th)

8. Niger (50th)

9. South Africa (53rd)

10. Sudan (59th)

11. Nigeria (61st)

12. Chad (62nd)

13. Namibia (64th)

14. DR Congo (75th)

15. Uganda (79th)

16. Tanzania (82nd)

17. Morocco (83rd)

18. Mali (89th)

19. Angola (90th)

20. Sierra Leone (93rd)

21. Rwanda (95th)

22. Burkina Faso (98th)

23. Burundi (103rd)

24. Zambia (104th)

25. Senegal (108th)

26. Algeria (110th)

27. Mauritania (112th)

28. Ghana (113th)

29. Central African Republic (115th)

30. Cameroon (121st)

31. Benin (124th)

32. Mauritius (129th)

33. Botswana (130th)

34. Comoros (132nd)

35. Eswatini (134th)

36. Republic of Congo (136th)

37. Seychelles (138th)

38. Cape Verde (139th)

39. Djibouti (148th)

40. Tunisia (149th)

41. Egypt (154th)

42. Lesotho (156th)

43. The Gambia (158th)

44. Togo (162nd)

45. Guinea (164th)

46. Guinea-Bissau (165th)

47. Gabon (167th)

48. Liberia (168th)

49. Côte d’Ivoire (169th)