Global Exposure Model#

✨ Overview#

The v2026.0.0 release for the GEM’s global exposure model is now available! 🥳 🚀

Global Exposure Model

Figure: Exposure model. Number of buildings at the first-administrative devision (top), and spatial distribution of building counts aggregated onto a discrete hexagonal grid (bottom)

GEM’s Global Exposure Model covers 215 countries and territories. Exposure model insights help governments, insurers, and disaster response teams anticipate and mitigate earthquake impacts.

👥 Population and Building classes#

  • 📍 Around 50% of the world population (~4.1 billion people) lives in areas exposed to moderate to high levels of seismic hazard (PGA > 0.10g on rock).

  • 🏠 Almost half of the buildings in the world are made of unreinforced masonry (26%) or wood (20%).

  • 🇮🇳 India is the country that concentrates the largest number of buiuldings (264 million)

💰 Economic value of Buildings#

  • 🔢 $304 trillion is the estimated total replacement cost of buildings (residential, commercial and industrial) worldwide, based on our latest risk models.

  • 🇺🇸 The United States of America concentrates the largest replacement cost, with $105 trillion.

  • 🌎 >80% of the total replacement cost is concentrated in three regions: North America, East Asia, and Europe.

🏠 Buildings Vulnerability#

  • 🚶‍♂️ More than 70% of the population in the world lives in buildings with no seismic provisions (vulnerable to earthquakes).

  • 🔨 <10% of the buildings follow modern building codes with moderate to high earthquake performance standards.