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Disasters cost insurers $54 bln, economy $175 bln in 2016 - Swiss Re

by Reuters
Tuesday, 28 March 2017 07:59 GMT

A woman sits on the ruins after typhoon Nepartak swept through Minqing county, Fujian province, China, July 10, 2016. Picture taken July 10, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

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Natural catastrophes and man-made disasters claimed 11,000 lives last year

ZURICH, March 28 (Reuters) - Disasters cost insurers $54 billion in 2016 and created total economic losses of $175 billion, reinsurer Swiss Re said in a revised study on Tuesday.

"The losses in 2016 – both economic and insured – were the highest since 2012 and reversed the downtrend of the last four years," the world's second-largest reinsurer said.

The group said natural catastrophes and man-made disasters claimed 11,000 lives last year.

The figures showed an increase on initial estimates provided by the group in mid-December, which placed financial losses above $158 billion and insured losses at $49 billion at least.

In its annual natural catastrophe review released in early January, Munich Re said insurers paid out around $50 billion for natural disaster claims last year.

(Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Michael Shields)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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