Name: How many Europeans are insuring their property against climate disasters?
Uploaded: 2026-02-11T14:06:46.734Z
Duration: 1 min 30 s
Description: Worries are sky high following the latest weather bombs in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Worries are sky high following the latest weather bombs in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

A European Union survey indicates that 87% of households across the EU have not implemented flood-proofing measures, such as drainage systems or flood barriers. The rate is even higher in Southern Europe, where 89% of households lack such protections. 

Despite this, about 40% of EU citizens have insurance policies covering extreme weather events, with the highest rates of insured households found in Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and France. Concern about climate disasters remains high, especially in Southern and Central Eastern Europe, where 76% of residents report not seeing any flood mitigation systems near their homes.

How many Europeans are insuring their property against climate disasters?

Are Europeans gearing up to face climate disasters? The destruction caused by Cyclone Harry in Sicily, where four kilometers of hillside collapsed, prompting the evacuation of more than 1,500 people, has reignited a long-standing debate. Are people in the most at-risk European regions properly preparing for these increasingly frequent calamities? According to an EU-wide survey, not so much. Across the European Union, 87% of households have no flood-proofing measures in place, such as improved drainage systems or flood barriers. In Southern Europe, that figure goes up to 89%. However, many are resorting to insurance. About 40% of EU citizens now have a policy covering extreme weather events. Microstates aside, the countries with the highest rates of insured households are in Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and France. At the other end of the spectrum are Sweden, Greece, Croatia and Bulgaria. Personal preparedness aside, worry levels are high, particularly in Southern and Central Eastern Europe. A low perception of preventive measures by the authorities only adds to the concern. Across the EU, 76% say they haven't seen any flood mitigation system near their homes, such as for example dikes or rainwater retention ponds.

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