Insight of the Day

India Loses Billions Each Year to Extreme Heat


 
6 July 2026
 
From 1950 to 2024 there has been a substantial increase in the frequency of days of extreme heat in India according to the latest Lancet Countdown report (2025 edition). The International Institute for Environment and Development defines temperatures at 35c or above as extreme. At this point workers operating at moderate intensity lose half of their labour capacity according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Annual Number of Days with Maximum Temperature ≥35°C in India
Data in degrees Centigrade
World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal



The report produced by Lancet estimated that 247 billion potential working hours were lost in India due to heat exposure in 2024, the latest available full-year data. This was a record high, equivalent to 419 hours per person and markedly higher than the 1990–1999 annual average. Consequently, there was a potential income loss of around $194 billion that year due to labour capacity reduction. As extreme heat days become more frequent, this financial burden will only likly continue to grow.

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