Flood exposure and poverty in 188 countries

TLDR

Flooding is a common natural hazard that disproportionately devastates low‑income countries. The study estimates the global number of people exposed to high flood risk in conjunction with poverty. The analysis shows that 1.81 billion people (23 % of the global population) are exposed to 1‑in‑100‑year floods, with 1.24 billion in South and East Asia, 89 % of flood‑exposed individuals living in low‑ and middle‑income countries, 170 million of whom face high flood risk and extreme poverty (44 % in Sub‑Saharan Africa), and 780 million living under $5.50 per day also at high risk, underscoring the scale and priority regions for flood mitigation.

Abstract

Abstract Flooding is among the most prevalent natural hazards, with particularly disastrous impacts in low-income countries. This study presents global estimates of the number of people exposed to high flood risks in interaction with poverty. It finds that 1.81 billion people (23% of world population) are directly exposed to 1-in-100-year floods. Of these, 1.24 billion are located in South and East Asia, where China (395 million) and India (390 million) account for over one-third of global exposure. Low- and middle-income countries are home to 89% of the world’s flood-exposed people. Of the 170 million facing high flood risk and extreme poverty (living on under $1.90 per day), 44% are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over 780 million of those living on under $5.50 per day face high flood risk. Using state-of-the-art poverty and flood data, our findings highlight the scale and priority regions for flood mitigation measures to support resilient development.