Natural disasters have led to economic losses of $ 135 billion (116 billion euros) worldwide in the first half, according to a swiss Re estimate, Los Angeles fires particularly inflating the bill for insurers.
Over the same period last year, these losses were $ 123 billion, recalled the reinsurance giant on Wednesday, losses in the first half of 2025 exceeding the average out of 10, he said in a statement.
The Los Angeles fires alone represented $ 40 billion in losses covered by insurance companies.
The Swiss group, which acts as an insurer for insurers, evokes losses of “exceptional severity”, these fires having occurred in a densely populated part of the United States with in addition a concentration of large value assets which were insured.
These fires increased the losses supported by insurers in the first half of $ 80 billion for the steering wheel concerning natural disasters, compared to $ 62 billion in the first half of 2024, according to this first swiss re estimate.
– Thunderstorms in the United States –
Added to it 31 billion dollars of damage covered by insurance for severe thunderstorms in the United States. This amount is not as high as in 2023 and 2024, and lower than the long trend with costs for insurers rather around 35 billion dollars, specifies Swiss Re.
But, these severe thunderstorms, which are accompanied by rail and tornadoes, nonetheless remain a growing source of losses for insurance companies.
The Swiss reinsurer, on the other hand, points out that the invoices of insurers for fires have increased sharply over the past 10 years.
Before 2015, fires only represented 1% of the losses insured. But between “the rise in temperatures, the periods of drought more frequent and the changes in rainfall regimes”, combined with urban expansion, they represent 7% of the assured losses, indicates Swiss Re.
The first semester was also marked by an earthquake in March in Burma, felt until Thailand, India and China. In Thailand alone, insured losses have reached $ 1.5 billion.
Taking into account what Swiss calls the claims caused by humans, such as industrial accidents, insured losses have rose to $ 87 billion in the first half, against $ 69 billion in the first half of 2024.
The second semester is usually more expensive for insurers due to damage during the hurricane season in the North Atlantic.
But if the costs continue to climb at the same rate as in the first half, the amount of damage supported by insurers could exceed its projections for natural disasters in 2025. They are currently $ 150 billion.
Posted on August 6 at 3:29 p.m.
