Natural disasters in China resulted in economic losses of 54.11 billion yuan ($7.55 billion) and affected over 23 million people during the first six months of 2025, according to government figures released on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Emergency Management said the disasters included a powerful earthquake in Tibet, fatal landslides in southwestern provinces, and widespread flooding across southern China. Floods alone accounted for over 90% of the total damage, amounting to 51 billion yuan.

Spokesperson Shen Zhanli told a press conference that 307 people were either dead or missing, while more than 620,000 were evacuated due to extreme weather events. Around 29,600 homes were destroyed—up nearly 29% compared to the same period last year—and 2.19 million hectares of farmland were affected.

Despite the scale of disruption, overall losses were 41.9% lower than in the first half of 2024, when extreme weather events, including floods and droughts, cost the country over 93 billion yuan—the highest half-year total since 2019.

In response to the growing impact of climate-related disasters, China has expanded compensation programmes for residents affected by flood control measures. These include government payments for displaced households and livestock losses.

The country continues to grapple with the consequences of climate change, with several regions recently hit by torrential rain and record heat. Former typhoon Danas forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people last week, and energy demand from air conditioning has pushed the power grid to record loads.