Recent global intensification of per capita exposure to extreme precipitation

While extreme precipitation intensifies globally, aggregate exposure metrics often mask the individual experience of climate risk. To address this gap, we quantify per capita exposure to extreme precipitation from 2000 to 2024 using population-weighted gridded analysis, decomposing exposure trends into contributions from climate intensification, demographic shifts, and their spatial covariance. Our observational analysis reveals that per capita exposure to extreme precipitation is intensifying at a rate significantly exceeding global mean precipitation change. This amplification is primarily driven by the spatial synchronization between urbanization patterns and the thermodynamic “wet-get-wetter” paradigm, resulting in increased geographical overlap between high-density settlements and extreme precipitation hotspots. Regional analysis reveals distinct mechanisms: while exposure in East Asia and North America is predominantly climate-driven, the increases in Africa and Oceania are dictated by structural shifts in population distribution. By bridging macro-scale climate statistics with individual-level risk perception, the per capita exposure metric offers a more intuitive proxy for personal hazard experience. These findings offer critical baselines for regional adaptation and the development of more resilient societies against extreme event-related disasters.