The reinsurance company Swiss Re released preliminary figures showing economic losses in 2010 of $222 billion, nearly triple the losses of $63 billion for 2009.
An estimated 260,000 lives have been lost this year to disasters, with most of those resulting from the Haiti earthquake.
Natural rather than man-made disasters are the cause of the overwhelming majority of both economic and human losses.
The Swiss Re report includes additional tables and graphs to the one at right.