Philippines remains world’s highest disaster-risk country in 2026 index

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 28, 2026

Photo courtesy: FilipinXpress

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has again ranked first among 193 United Nations member states in the 2026 WorldRiskIndex, posting the highest disaster-risk score worldwide at 46.69.

In a Facebook post discussing the latest WorldRiskReport, Science Department said the Philippines retained the top position it also held in 2025, underscoring the country’s high exposure to natural hazards alongside social and structural vulnerabilities that can worsen their impact.

The official WorldRiskReport 2026 confirms that the Philippines topped this year’s index, followed by India with 44.97 and Indonesia with 44.63. The index covers all UN member states and more than 99% of the global population. 

The WorldRiskIndex does not rank countries simply according to how often disasters occur. It measures risk by looking at two main components: exposure to natural hazards and societal vulnerability, including a country’s ability to cope with and adapt to disasters. 

Among the hazards considered are earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, coastal and river flooding, droughts and sea-level rise.

Science Department noted that the framework means the severity of a natural hazard alone does not determine the scale of a disaster. Factors such as infrastructure, poverty, healthcare, early-warning systems, preparedness, governance, emergency response and communities’ capacity to recover can influence the resulting human impact.

The 2026 WorldRiskReport focuses on storms, examining why similar weather events can have significantly different consequences depending on the vulnerability and preparedness of affected societies. The report describes storms as among the world’s most consequential natural hazards and says they cause greater economic losses than any other weather-related extreme event. 

For the Philippines, Science Department said the ranking highlights the importance of strengthening resilient infrastructure, early-warning systems, disaster preparedness, ecosystem protection, healthcare and emergency response, and long-term climate adaptation.

The Philippines also topped the 2025 WorldRiskIndex, when it recorded a score of 46.56.