Catastrophe losses cost property insurers $15bn in 2006, according to Swiss Re. Total economic losses were $40bn.
In a relatively benign year, there were only three events that cost the industry more than $1bn: two US tornados ($1.7bn and $1.3bn) and a Japanese typhoon ($1bn).
Swiss Re indicated that 2006 represented the third lowest year for cat losses in the past two decades. During the year, there were nearly 140 natural catastrophes and more than 200 man-made disasters.
The reinsurer also noted that 30,000 people died in 2006 as a result of catastrophes, with the Indonesian earthquake in May claiming more than 5,700 lives.
