Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
The indicator measures the economic losses from weather and climate-related events. Weather and climate-related events are defined as meteorological events (storms, avalanches), hydrological events (floods) and climatological events (heatwaves, cold waves, droughts, forest fires) based on the classification by the International Council for Science (ICSU).
In addition to the annual figures, a smoothed time-series based on 30-year averages is presented. In line with the climate normal period as defined by World Meteorological Organisation, these 30 years average figures reflect trends excluding the substantial climate variability on shorter time scales due to natural factors. The indicator is based on data from CATDAT of RiskLayer.
3.2. Classification system
Weather and climate-related events are defined in accordance with the classification system of the International Council for Science (ICSU).
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Weather and climate-related events are defined as meteorological events (storms, avalanches), hydrological events (floods) and climatological events (heatwaves, cold waves, droughts, forest fires) based on the classification by the International Council for Science (ICSU).
3.5. Statistical unit
Data is received from the from CATDAT of RiskLayer through the EEA under institutional agreement and have been adjusted to account for inflation (2022 constant prices).
3.6. Statistical population
The analysed hazards are classified in three categories: meteorological, hydrological and climatological events.
3.7. Reference area
All EU MS plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye.
3.8. Coverage - Time
> 10 years.
Presented time series starts in year 1980.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
million EUR and EUR per capita (2022 constant prices):
all events,
meteorological events,
hydrological events,
climatological events.
Calendar year. Moving thirty-year average.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
CATDAT by Risklayer is one of the world’s largest and most detailed historical catastrophe loss databases. As a proprietary database, it is not publicly accessible. The dataset was provided to the EEA under institutional agreement.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Eurostat republishes the EEA indicator as part of the EU SDG indicator set.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
CATDAT by Risklayer is one of the world’s largest and most detailed historical catastrophe loss databases. As a proprietary database, it is not publicly accessible. The dataset was provided to the EEA under institutional agreement.
The indicator is disseminated every year.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not applicable.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Evaluation of indicator is presented in Eurostat's annual monitoring report on Sustainable Development in the EU (progress towards SDGs in the EU context). The indicator is also included in Eurostat's Statistics for the European Green Deal visualisation tool.
See the EEA website for more information on quality assurance.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
See the EEA website for more information on quality management assessment.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The indicator is part of the EU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator set. It is used to monitor progress towards SDG 13 on climate action; which is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under the European Green Deal. SDG 13 seeks to implement the commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for achieving a climate neutral world by mid-century to limit global warming to well below 2°C and aiming at 1.5°C (compared to pre-industrial times). It also aims to strengthen countries’ resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related natural hazards and the resulting disasters.
Indicator can be considered as similar to the global SDG indicators 1.5.2 and 11.5.2 "Direct disaster economic loss in relation to global GDP" (related to Sendai indicator).
The EU places disaster and climate resilience as a central objective in its humanitarian assistance. The EU Resilience Marker is used in all humanitarian projects to define ways to reduce disaster risks and to strengthen people's coping capacities to disasters and crises. The Action Plan for the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 – 2030 includes a strong focus on climate change adaptation, linking it to disaster risk reduction strategies and their coherent implementation in EU partner countries.
Furthermore, the new EU Adaptation Strategy urges smarter, faster and more systematic adaptation to fulfil the vision that in 2050, the EU will be a climate-resilient society, fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not applicable.
12.3. Completeness
EU-27 aggregate is available.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Indicator from non-ESS sources. For an assessment of accuracy please refer to the EEA website.
New data points are disseminated within two years after the reference year of data collection.
14.2. Punctuality
See EEA website for more detailed information on punctuality.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
All EU MS as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye.
15.2. Comparability - over time
> 4 data points.
Lenght of comparable time series without methodological break is longer than 4 data points.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
17.1. Data revision - policy
All data disseminbated consist of data already disseminated by EEA (based on source data from CATDAT of Risklayer).
The revision policy is therefore effectively the revision policy applied by EEA for data from CATDAT of Risklayer.
See EEA website for details on data revision policy.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The revision practice effectively corresponds to the revision practice of EEA (based on source data from CATDAT of Risklayer) - but with a revision periodicity corresponding to the Eurostat retrieval schedule.
Each year, when data is retrieved by Eurostat from EEA (based on source data from CATDAT of Risklayer), all of the already disseminated data are updated.
See EEA website for details on the EEA data revision practice.
18.1. Source data
Data set provider: European Environment Agency based on CATDAT by Risklayer. More information about the data source: (Economic losses from climate related).
The indicator measures the economic losses from weather and climate-related events. Weather and climate-related events are defined as meteorological events (storms, avalanches), hydrological events (floods) and climatological events (heatwaves, cold waves, droughts, forest fires) based on the classification by the International Council for Science (ICSU).
In addition to the annual figures, a smoothed time-series based on 30-year averages is presented. In line with the climate normal period as defined by World Meteorological Organisation, these 30 years average figures reflect trends excluding the substantial climate variability on shorter time scales due to natural factors. The indicator is based on data from CATDAT of RiskLayer.
4 November 2024
Weather and climate-related events are defined as meteorological events (storms, avalanches), hydrological events (floods) and climatological events (heatwaves, cold waves, droughts, forest fires) based on the classification by the International Council for Science (ICSU).
Data is received from the from CATDAT of RiskLayer through the EEA under institutional agreement and have been adjusted to account for inflation (2022 constant prices).
The analysed hazards are classified in three categories: meteorological, hydrological and climatological events.
All EU MS plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye.
Calendar year. Moving thirty-year average.
Indicator from non-ESS sources. For an assessment of accuracy please refer to the EEA website.
million EUR and EUR per capita (2022 constant prices):
Data set provider: European Environment Agency based on CATDAT by Risklayer. More information about the data source: (Economic losses from climate related).
The indicator is disseminated every year.
New data points are disseminated within two years after the reference year of data collection.
All EU MS as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye.
> 4 data points.
Lenght of comparable time series without methodological break is longer than 4 data points.
