How Many People Have Died on Mount Everest? What Every Traveller Needs to Know (2025 Update)

Mount Everest is not only the highest mountain in the world. It's also where dreams and risks and extremes intersect. For anyone thinking about trekking in the Khumbu or going for a summit, one question keeps coming back: How many deaths on Mount Everest?

Here's a totally up-to-date snapshot (until Spring 2025), via reputable sources, so that you're aware of risks, trends, and how to prepare wisely.

Total Known Deaths: The Big Picture

1. In Alan Arnette's "Everest by the Numbers: 2025 Edition," using data from Himalayan Database statistics, 335 people have lost their lives on Everest from the first serious attempts to ascend it through December 2024.

2. That includes both "member" (foreign trekkers) and "hired" employee (mostly Sherpas) deaths across all routes (Tibet side and Nepal side).

3. The death rate for would-be Everest climbers sits at about 1.11%-1.12% overall. That's one to two climbers out of one hundred who make an attempt.

So it's a big number, but it's not necessarily as astronomical as some egregious outlets might have one think. That said, all deaths on Everest involve some chain of risks, failures in preparation, and sometimes unexpected events.

Trends & Recent Seasons (2010-2025)

In order to know if Everest is getting more or less risky, it's helpful to take trends into account:

• Summits vs. Deaths Growth: The number of climbers reaching the summit has increased over time. In Spring 2025, Alan Arnette estimates between 700 and 800 summits from both the Nepal and Tibet sides combined.

• Latest death tolls:

1. In March 2023, 18 deaths were reported from the Nepal side (the record highest) during the season.

2. In 2024, deaths by and large were fewer than in 2023, yet far greater than in prior years.

3. In the spring 2025 climbing season on Everest via the Nepal side, 5 climbers lost their lives. That was lower than in previous high-death years.

• Death rate by side of mountain: Nepal remains more favorite amongst climbers and experiences more deaths in sheer numbers; the Tibet side has fewer summits and relatively fewer death numbers.

Where and When Most Deaths Happen

It's useful to know where on Everest climbers die, and when, for anyone planning a climb or trek. 

1. "Death Zone": Above about 8,000 meters (26,247 feet), the notorious death zone is where oxygen deprivation, cold, and exposure all take their toll on a climber. Most deaths are on summit bids or going down in this zone.

2. Risk areas: The summit ridge, South Col area, fixed-line areas, storms, and bottlenecks to good weather windows are infamous risk areas. Delay, fatigue, elevation, and oxygen shortage all increase risk.

3. Altitudes below summits are also dangerous: Areas like the Khumbu Icefall have killed numerous people, particularly Sherpa porters, usually by avalanche or by serac fall.

4. Descent is riskier than ascent: Most climbers reach the summit (or nearly so) and die coming back down, their bodies exhausted, from lack of oxygen, or from abrupt weather conditions. The death toll in 2025 also includes reports of death on the descent.

Why Deaths Occur: Main Causes & Risk Factors

There are several, frequently cross-cutting reasons why people die on Everest. Knowing them facilitates preparation and mitigation of risks.

1. Altitude Sickness / Hypoxia / HAPE / HACE: As you ascend above 7,000–8,000 m, the air is thin. Without acclimatization, climbers can suffer high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), or general hypoxia. These develop quickly and can be fatal.

2. Exposure, Cold & Weather: Violent storms, cold, windchill, and accidental exposure outside protected areas (e.g., gaps between camps) all carry risks for frostbite, hypothermia, and fatigue.

3. Avalanches, Serac Fall & Icefall: Natural perils such as avalanches caused by loads from snow or earthquakes, or falling ice (seracs) in the Icefall, may occur without notice.

4. Falls & Physical Hazards: Slips/falls, falls, crevasse incidents, fixed-line malfunction, or erring in judging terrain through fatigue are typical causes for non-weather-related deaths.

5. Medical Events / Pre-existing Conditions: Heart attacks or other crises happen, sometimes exacerbated by stress, lack of oxygen, or lack of fluids. Climbers will need to be candid about health problems and receive medical screening. 

6. Crowding & Bottlenecks: In recent years, rising permit holder numbers have resulted in congestion close to summit windows. Delays make climbers spend more time in exposed positions, utilize more oxygen, and become fatigue-prone. These create larger risks, especially if weather worsens.

Body Recovery & the “Left Behind” Question

A grim but often-raised question: Leaving bodies on Everest.

1. Yes. There are numerous bodies littered across the mountain, especially above Camp IV, typically in places too hazardous to safely recover them.

2. Recovery is logistically very difficult, expensive, and dangerous. Sometimes teams deem retrieval too risky.

3. There have also been clean-up and corpse recovery efforts in recent decades, such as teams recovering bodies and cleaning out garbage.

What’s New in 2025: Regulations, Costs, & Safety Measures

In a bid to curb deaths and make Everest expeditions sustainable, Nepal introduced fresh rules and regulations.

1. Permit Fee Hike: As of September 1st, 2025, the permit fee to climb Everest through the normal south route (South Col / South East Ridge) in the popular spring season (March-May) will increase from USD 11,000 to USD 15,000 per person. Autumn and winter/monsoon season rates also went up.

2. Guide Requirements & Worker Protection: There will be compulsory guides (climber-to-guide ratio), supplementary insurance coverage for high-altitude workers, and stricter waste & environmental regulations (e.g., disposing of human waste and waste disposal).

3. Reductions in Permit Validity: Permit validities have been reduced (for chosen routes/seasons) to reduce exposure-related risks.

4. Experience Proposals: There is some debate in the community (and among regulators) about having more stringent experience requirements (e.g., prior high altitude (7000 m+) ascents) before permit consideration. This isn't entirely in place for all situations yet but is edging into safety considerations.

What This Means for You as a Traveller or Prospective Climber

If you're heading to treks in the Everest area or actually summiting, here are things to consider in helping yourself stay safer and enjoy it more.

1. Select an experienced operator:Guides who understand conditions changing on Everest, logistics, use of oxygen, and evacuations. Good operators are a large safety factor.

2. Acclimatization matters: Don't rush. Gradually take time to ascend and descend; get your body used to it. Many deaths happen as climbers get altitude sick or exhausted.

3. Health and fitness: Discuss your health history openly. Train, prepare, and get cleared by your physician.

4. Plan your descent: Many accidents happen on the descent. Weather, oxygen, and fatigue are more likely to become critical then. Always give yourself a turnaround time (i.e., if a summit is not possible under relatively safe conditions, prepare to make a descent).

5. Insurance & emergency evac: A mountain rescue is not cheap. Ensure that your insurance includes rescue, helicopter evacuation, & medical emergencies.

6. Respect rules & local regulations: Fees, rules, safety rules and other conditions change (up to 2025); ensure that you know. Adhere to waste disposal rules, guide requirements, permit dates, etc.

The Appeal of Everest: Why People Still Climb

Despite all that could possibly go awry, Mount Everest continues to tempt climbers, explorers, and daydreamers. Here's how it is one of planet Earth's finest tests and how many safely and successfully do it.

1. Achievement & Conquest: Standing atop the world is one personal feat that cannot be beaten. For many climbers, the physical, mental, and emotional experience is life-changing.

2. Natural beauty & culture: Khumbu region, Sherpa culture, Himalayan scenery, off-the-beaten paths. it's not about only reaching the top; the whole process is full.

3. Greater safety and improved equipment: Improved gear, improved weather conditions, better oxygen equipment, GPS, improved preparation, and more experienced expedition teams lower many risks from what they had in earlier periods.

4. Community & legacy: Everest climbing with respect (for local communities, environment, and safety) can be more than personal meaning; it can make meaning for the community. Conservation, trail support, cleanups, and cultural exchange all make it more than mountaineering.

Conclusion

Everest is perilous. Yet it's not a roulette. With adequate preparation, operator, equipment, attitude, and mountain respect (and rule adherence), many climbers safely ascend Everest. Statistics demonstrate some gains: fewer deaths in the spring season of 2025 than in some recent years testify that regulation, safety common sense, and experience are having some positive effect.

If well informed and well equipped, risks are indeed real but controllable. If inadequately equipped or reverting to gimmicky "cheap" or fast-track deals, that is where things go awry.

Why Nepal Outdoor Expeditions Can Help You Climb Safer & Smarter

At Nepal Outdoor Expeditions, our philosophy is summit as a goal, not obsession. Responsibility, safety, and respect are ingredients in all trips that we organize.

Here's what we have:

1. Well-qualified Nepali guides who know Everest's most recent routes, conditions, and changes in regulations.

2. Safety measures: controlled ascent, use of oxygen, prearranged emergency descent, and frequent health checks.

3. Transparent itineraries: realistic acclimatization time, agreed turnaround time, environmental responsibility (waste disposal, sustainable operations).

4. Help getting through permits, new regulations and increased fees so you won't encounter surprises.

If you're willing to make your Everest experience about getting to the top as much as getting there safely, carefully, and respectfully, then talking it over is my pleasure. Let's put together your journey together, fully informed, fully equipped, and in sync with best practice through 2025.

FAQs

1. How many deaths have occurred on Mount Everest through 2025?

As of 2025, over 330 climbers have lost their lives on Everest since the first recorded attempts in the 1920s.

2. What is generally the most common cause of death at Mount Everest?

The injuries result mostly from altitude sickness, fatigue, avalanches, and unforeseen weather conditions.

3. How dangerous is Mount Everest compared to other mountains?

Everest's death rate is roughly 1%, lower than some 8,000-meter peaks, although it is serious by virtue of altitude and harsh conditions.

4. What is the ‘death zone’ on Mount Everest?

The death zone refers to altitudes above 8,000 meters (26,247 ft), where oxygen exists in very little supply and is not survivable for a long period by the human organism.

5. Do most deaths occur on the ascent or descent?

Most deaths occur on the descent after one runs out of energy after having reached the top.

6. Are the bodies of climbers left on Mount Everest?

In fact, most corpses are scattered on the mountain due to the expense and trouble involved in recovering them. Some are found along the ascent routes.

7. What was Mount Everest's most fatal season?

In 2014 (avalanche) and 2015 (earthquake), both years saw loss of life among climbers and Sherpas, and both years had thus been particularly tragic.

8. Has the likelihood of death on Everest grown larger over recent years?

The general death rate has lessened with improved equipment and guided ascents, although global warming and crowds have been other dangers.

9. Which nationalities have had the highest casualty count on Everest?

There are also many victims who are foreign climbers, though Sherpas, who guide and support expeditions, form a large proportion of deaths.

10. What safety measures can climbers take to lower death chances?

Mountain climbing accompanied by experienced guides, proper acclimatization, use of supplemental oxygen, and weather monitoring reports is vital.

11. Can new climbers climb Mount Everest?

Everest isn't for beginners. Climbers will need previous high-altitude experience, technical knowledge, and high-level physical fitness.

12. How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest Safely? 

Guided treks usually cost between $40,000 and $70,000, depending on how much support and service. 

13. Is climate change making Everest more dangerous? 

In fact, melting glaciers, shifting weather patterns, and escalating hazards from rockfall are among the things climbers face. 

14. Why are survival chances increased by guided expeditions? 

Organized agencies such as Nepal Outdoor Expeditions offer skilled Sherpa support, oxygen equipment, and logistical arrangements that make safety dramatically better. 

15. Why do climbers head out to Everest despite the risks? 

Everest continues to best represent adventure and conquest, drawing climbers from every corner of the globe who wish to push their boundaries and touch the highest point in the world.