World Bank Group Estimates Venezuela Earthquakes Damage at $19.6 Billion

The World Bank Group estimates that the June 24, 2026 earthquakes caused US$19.6 billion in direct physical damage in Venezuela. According to the Global Rapid Damage Estimation (GRADE) assessment, 47 percent of total damage affected residential buildings, 27 percent infrastructure, and 26 percent non-residential buildings, while La Guaira and Distrito Capital accounted for around half of total damage. The analysis finds that the pace of reconstruction will be decisive for economic recovery and social outcomes: at current levels of public and private investment, reconstruction would remain incomplete over a ten-year horizon, whereas increased investment could accelerate recovery and mitigate the economic and social impacts. The associated GRADE report expands the analysis of damage, macroeconomic implications, and social vulnerability, including food-security conditions and the particular barriers that affected rural populations may face in accessing assistance and essential services.