Disasters killed 32,550 people last year, including 16 Australians, and affected 108 million people across the globe, the organisation's annual World Disasters Report says.

There were 574 disasters worldwide last year – the highest since 2011 – and nearly two-thirds of the total were weather-related emergencies, including floods, storms and droughts.

"The number of disasters continues to rise, as a result of a combination of increased vulnerability (more people living in dangerous places) and climate change," the report said.

Weather-related disasters have displaced an average of 22.5 million people each year since 2008 – the equivalent of 62,000 people every day. The report said the annual economic loss from extreme weather events worldwide is now typically between $US150 billion and $US200 billion ($197 billion and $263 billion).

But there is good news – last year's global death toll from disasters was less than half the average for the past 10 years. There is growing evidence that investing in early warnings and preparing for disasters lowers the number of deaths and injuries.

"By improvements in preparedness many disasters have been reduced or even totally prevented," the report said.

The devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May 2015 resulted in the highest death toll worldwide with just under 9000 lives lost. The economic loss from those quakes was estimated to be equivalent to one-third of Nepal's gross domestic product.

In Australia, bushfires in Western Australia and floods in Queensland and NSW caused most of the 16 disaster-related deaths last year. Natural disasters cost Australia at least $9 billion last year, according to the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities. That cost is forecast to double by 2030 and reach $33 billion per year by 2050.

Australian Red Cross chief executive Judy Slatyer called for a "significant national increase" in investment for disaster risk reduction and community resilience. This "spending in advance" of disasters should apply both for Australian communities and our overseas aid program.

"Disasters must be dealt with differently," said Slatyer. "If we invest more in preparing and mitigating risks, we can save lives and minimise the huge costs of recovery.

Only about one in every $8 spent on disasters worldwide goes towards reducing risks.

"It's time to build resilience by rebalancing the way we invest in aid and mitigate the affect of disasters," Ms Slatyer said.

"Preparing for floods, fires, cyclones and all disasters must become normal, like wearing a seat belt in a car. Our research and experience shows us that preparing well for disasters saves countless lives and helps people respond to disasters best and recover more quickly. It's smart to reduce risk and invest in a safer future."

The Asia-Pacific remains the world's most disaster-affected region with 43 per cent of recorded disaster events and 67 per cent of all disaster-related deaths during 2015.

In the Pacific region, which includes Australia, the number of people affected by disasters last year was the highest of the decade, reaching five times the decade's average.

The Red Cross estimates that 4.7 billion people were affected by natural disasters between 1993 and 2015.

The report took into account industrial and transport accidents as well as natural disasters.