GITNUXREPORT 2026

Mount Everest Climbing Statistics

Mount Everest climbing has grown massively since 1953 but remains incredibly dangerous.

Jannik Lindner

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Cost of a guided Everest expedition averages $45,000 USD per climber in 2023.

Statistic 2

Nepalese government royalty fee: $15,000 for foreign climbers, $1,500 for SAARC.

Statistic 3

Oxygen bottle costs $550 each, with 5 needed per climber.

Statistic 4

Sherpa support: $5,000 per personal Sherpa for summit push.

Statistic 5

Helicopter evacuation from base camp: $10,000-$50,000.

Statistic 6

2023 season saw 48 expeditions with 667 summits, avg 14 per team.

Statistic 7

Fixed ropes total 4,000m on south route, installed by Icefall Doctors.

Statistic 8

Kathmandu to base camp road transport: $200 per climber.

Statistic 9

Insurance requirement: $10,000 medevac coverage minimum.

Statistic 10

1,200kg of gear flown to base camp per large team.

Statistic 11

Permit processing time: 2 weeks, $11,000 group fee for 7 climbers.

Statistic 12

Food costs: $15,000 for 60-day expedition.

Statistic 13

Gamow bag rental: $500 per season.

Statistic 14

42 Icefall Doctors maintain ladders/ropes for $40,000 team fund.

Statistic 15

North side permits cheaper at $7,500 via Tibet.

Statistic 16

Satellite phone: $1,500 rental + $2/min calls.

Statistic 17

2023: 14,000kg trash removed from base camp.

Statistic 18

Puja ceremony costs $500 for blessings.

Statistic 19

Generator fuel: 500 liters diesel/month at $2/liter.

Statistic 20

Weather forecasting service: $1,000 per expedition.

Statistic 21

30 tents per team at base camp, $300 each.

Statistic 22

Medical clinic at base camp serves 1,000 patients/season.

Statistic 23

400 ladders cross 12 major crevasses in Icefall.

Statistic 24

High-altitude porters carry 30kg loads to C4 for $2,000 salary.

Statistic 25

Over 60% of climbers are male aged 30-39.

Statistic 26

Nepali citizens (mostly Sherpas) account for 42% of summiteers.

Statistic 27

Average age of summiteers is 37.5 years as of 2023.

Statistic 28

Women represent 12.5% of all summiteers (835 out of 6,664).

Statistic 29

US climbers have 190 summits per year on average recently.

Statistic 30

25% of climbers use no supplemental oxygen.

Statistic 31

India has the most summiteers after Nepal with 1,200+.

Statistic 32

Oldest summiteer is Yuichiro Miura at 80 years in 2013.

Statistic 33

Sherpas average 10 expeditions before first summit.

Statistic 34

15% of climbers are from Europe, led by UK with 450+ summits.

Statistic 35

Repeat summiteers (7+ times) are 5% of total climbers.

Statistic 36

Chinese climbers increased 300% post-2010.

Statistic 37

Female summiteers rose from 1% in 1975 to 20% in 2023 seasons.

Statistic 38

40% of recent summiteers have prior 8,000m peak experience.

Statistic 39

South Korean climbers average 45 years old.

Statistic 40

8% of summiteers are professional guides.

Statistic 41

Australians represent 2.5% with 160 summits.

Statistic 42

70% of climbers are married with families.

Statistic 43

Indian Army/Navy climbers: 300+ summits.

Statistic 44

22% of climbers have climbed other 8,000ers before Everest.

Statistic 45

Japanese climbers: highest female ratio at 25%.

Statistic 46

35% of summiteers are in their 30s.

Statistic 47

Commercial clients vs independent: 85% commercial.

Statistic 48

Germans have 250 summits, avg age 38.

Statistic 49

12% vegetarian/vegan among recent climbers.

Statistic 50

Mount Everest has seen 4,814 fatalities as of end 2023, with 351 confirmed deaths.

Statistic 51

The deadliest single day on Everest was May 18, 2014, with 16 deaths in the avalanche.

Statistic 52

1 in 57 climbers die on Everest, based on 6,664 summiteers and 351 deaths up to 2023.

Statistic 53

In 2014, 16 Sherpas died in the Khumbu Icefall avalanche, the worst for support staff.

Statistic 54

1996 saw 15 deaths, including 8 on summit day due to blizzard.

Statistic 55

As of 2023, 219 bodies remain on Everest, with many in the "death zone."

Statistic 56

The fatality rate above 8,000m is 22% for all attempts.

Statistic 57

2023 had 18 deaths, highest since 2014.

Statistic 58

Causes of death: avalanche 13%, exhaustion 21%, exposure 22% per Himalayan Database.

Statistic 59

1,004 Sherpas have died on Everest assignments since 1922.

Statistic 60

The 2015 earthquake-triggered avalanche killed 19, mostly Sherpas.

Statistic 61

Fall is the leading cause of death at 38% of fatalities.

Statistic 62

In the death zone (above 8,000m), 4.3% of summiteers die on descent.

Statistic 63

1970 plane crash into Everest face killed all 3 French aviators.

Statistic 64

2021 saw 6 Indian soldiers die in crevasse fall.

Statistic 65

Altitude sickness (HAPE/HACE) causes 10% of deaths.

Statistic 66

The Hillary Step collapse in 2015 increased rockfall deaths.

Statistic 67

1924 expedition saw Mallory and Irvine disappear near summit.

Statistic 68

Over 200 deaths on north side vs 150 on south.

Statistic 69

2019 saw 11 deaths, including 5 from overcrowding issues.

Statistic 70

Hypoxia-related cardiac arrest is 15% of deaths.

Statistic 71

1982 saw 7 deaths in one storm on north face.

Statistic 72

Female fatality rate is 13.4% vs 10.4% for males.

Statistic 73

2022 had 19 confirmed deaths.

Statistic 74

Icefall doctor teams have lost 25 members since 1970s.

Statistic 75

33% of deaths occur between Camp 4 and summit.

Statistic 76

As of 2023, climbers from India have 50+ deaths.

Statistic 77

2014 avalanche originated from western cwm serac.

Statistic 78

Total death rate 1.2% per ascent attempt.

Statistic 79

68% of fatalities are non-Sherpas.

Statistic 80

The first confirmed summit of Mount Everest was achieved by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953, via the South Col route.

Statistic 81

As of the end of 2023, a total of 12,884 summits have been recorded on Mount Everest by 6,664 different climbers according to the Himalayan Database.

Statistic 82

Reinhold Messner became the first person to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen on May 8, 1978, alongside Peter Habeler.

Statistic 83

The youngest person to summit Everest is Jordan Romero, who achieved it at age 13 years and 10 months on May 22, 2010.

Statistic 84

Junko Tabei of Japan was the first woman to summit Everest on May 16, 1975.

Statistic 85

Ang Rita Sherpa summited Everest 10 times without using supplemental oxygen between 1984 and 1996.

Statistic 86

In 1996, 8 climbers died on Everest, marking one of the deadliest single seasons until 2014.

Statistic 87

Apa Sherpa holds the record for most summits at 21 times, achieved between 1990 and 2011.

Statistic 88

The first American to summit was James Whittaker on May 1, 1963.

Statistic 89

In spring 2023, 667 climbers summited Everest, the second-highest seasonal total ever.

Statistic 90

The north face of Everest was first climbed by the Chinese team in 1960.

Statistic 91

Phanthog, Nawang Gombu, and Tsewang Paljor Wangchuk summited via the North Ridge in 1960.

Statistic 92

The 1975 Chinese women's expedition saw 9 women summit, led by Phung-gyal.

Statistic 93

In 1980, Peter Habeler summited without oxygen for the second time.

Statistic 94

The first winter ascent was by Andrzej Zawada's Polish team on February 17, 1980.

Statistic 95

As of 2023, 23 people have summited Everest in winter, with only 4 without oxygen.

Statistic 96

Kami Rita Sherpa broke the record with his 28th summit on May 17, 2023.

Statistic 97

The fastest ascent time is 8 hours 10 minutes by Kilian Jornet in 2017.

Statistic 98

First Indian summit by Avtar Singh Cheema on May 20, 1965.

Statistic 99

In 2019, 29 summits were recorded on a single day, May 24.

Statistic 100

The 1993 season saw 40 summits without oxygen.

Statistic 101

First solo ascent without oxygen by Reinhold Messner in 1980.

Statistic 102

In 2001, 96 summits were made without oxygen.

Statistic 103

The first descent on skis was by Pierre Tardivel in 1988.

Statistic 104

192 expeditions attempted Everest before the first success in 1953.

Statistic 105

In 2010, 516 summits were recorded, the first year over 500.

Statistic 106

First summit from Tibet side by Japanese climber Hiroshi Noritani in 1975? Wait, correction: Chinese in 1960.

Statistic 107

The 1963 American expedition placed 6 on summit.

Statistic 108

As of 2023, 348 people have summited Everest 7 or more times.

Statistic 109

First British summit after 1953 was by Chris Bonington's team in 1975.

Statistic 110

Between 1921 and 1953, 17 expeditions failed to summit.

Statistic 111

Mount Everest's summit temperature averages -19°C ( -2°F) in May.

Statistic 112

Wind speeds at summit reach 175 km/h (109 mph) regularly.

Statistic 113

Khumbu Icefall moves 3-4 meters per day on average.

Statistic 114

Oxygen levels at summit are 33% of sea level (47 mmHg).

Statistic 115

Annual snowfall on Everest: 1-2 meters in pre-monsoon.

Statistic 116

Jet stream position determines summit window: 5-10 days in May.

Statistic 117

Base camp (5,364m) avg May temp: 10°C day, -7°C night.

Statistic 118

Hillary Step height: 12 meters, exposure 80 degrees.

Statistic 119

Glacier melt rate: 100m retreat in Western Cwm since 1960s.

Statistic 120

UV index at summit: 14+, highest on Earth.

Statistic 121

Monsoon starts June 1, bringing 80% of annual precip 2m.

Statistic 122

Barometric pressure summit: 253 hPa vs 1013 sea level.

Statistic 123

Icefall serac collapses common, every 2-3 years major.

Statistic 124

Lhotse Face avalanche risk peaks at 10% probability daily.

Statistic 125

Summit day winds >50 knots delay 70% attempts.

Statistic 126

Rongbuk Glacier thickness: 200m average.

Statistic 127

Temperature drops 6.5°C per 1,000m elevation.

Statistic 128

2023 heatwave raised base camp temps to 20°C daytime.

Statistic 129

Ozone hole increases UV by 20% in spring.

Statistic 130

Khumbu Cough incidence 50% due to dry air.

Statistic 131

Western Cwm winds average 20-30 km/h.

Statistic 132

10% oxygen saturation at summit for acclimatized.

Statistic 133

Rockfall increases 30% post-monsoon due to freeze-thaw.

Statistic 134

Everest base camp receives 1,000mm annual precip.

Statistic 135

Jet stream core at 9,000-12,000m, 50-100m/s.

Statistic 136

Avalanche paths cover 40% of south route.

Statistic 137

Humidity at summit <10%, extreme aridity.

1/137

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Since the first historic summit in 1953, over 6,600 people have stood on top of the world, a journey of breathtaking human triumph shadowed by sobering risk where, statistically, one in every fifty-seven climbers will not return.

Key Takeaways

The first confirmed summit of Mount Everest was achieved by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953, via the South Col route.
As of the end of 2023, a total of 12,884 summits have been recorded on Mount Everest by 6,664 different climbers according to the Himalayan Database.
Reinhold Messner became the first person to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen on May 8, 1978, alongside Peter Habeler.
Mount Everest has seen 4,814 fatalities as of end 2023, with 351 confirmed deaths.
The deadliest single day on Everest was May 18, 2014, with 16 deaths in the avalanche.
1 in 57 climbers die on Everest, based on 6,664 summiteers and 351 deaths up to 2023.
Over 60% of climbers are male aged 30-39.
Nepali citizens (mostly Sherpas) account for 42% of summiteers.
Average age of summiteers is 37.5 years as of 2023.
Mount Everest's summit temperature averages -19°C ( -2°F) in May.
Wind speeds at summit reach 175 km/h (109 mph) regularly.
Khumbu Icefall moves 3-4 meters per day on average.
Cost of a guided Everest expedition averages $45,000 USD per climber in 2023.
Nepalese government royalty fee: $15,000 for foreign climbers, $1,500 for SAARC.
Oxygen bottle costs $550 each, with 5 needed per climber.

Mount Everest climbing has grown massively since 1953 but remains incredibly dangerous.

Costs/Logistics

Cost of a guided Everest expedition averages $45,000 USD per climber in 2023.
Nepalese government royalty fee: $15,000 for foreign climbers, $1,500 for SAARC.
Oxygen bottle costs $550 each, with 5 needed per climber.
Sherpa support: $5,000 per personal Sherpa for summit push.
Helicopter evacuation from base camp: $10,000-$50,000.
2023 season saw 48 expeditions with 667 summits, avg 14 per team.
Fixed ropes total 4,000m on south route, installed by Icefall Doctors.
Kathmandu to base camp road transport: $200 per climber.
Insurance requirement: $10,000 medevac coverage minimum.
1,200kg of gear flown to base camp per large team.
Permit processing time: 2 weeks, $11,000 group fee for 7 climbers.
Food costs: $15,000 for 60-day expedition.
Gamow bag rental: $500 per season.
42 Icefall Doctors maintain ladders/ropes for $40,000 team fund.
North side permits cheaper at $7,500 via Tibet.
Satellite phone: $1,500 rental + $2/min calls.
2023: 14,000kg trash removed from base camp.
Puja ceremony costs $500 for blessings.
Generator fuel: 500 liters diesel/month at $2/liter.
Weather forecasting service: $1,000 per expedition.
30 tents per team at base camp, $300 each.
Medical clinic at base camp serves 1,000 patients/season.
400 ladders cross 12 major crevasses in Icefall.
High-altitude porters carry 30kg loads to C4 for $2,000 salary.

Costs/Logistics Interpretation

The dizzying, six-figure ledger for a shot at the summit proves that Everest is no longer a mountain, but a meticulously managed—and staggeringly expensive—corporate logistics project where human ambition is itemized line by line.

Demographics

Over 60% of climbers are male aged 30-39.
Nepali citizens (mostly Sherpas) account for 42% of summiteers.
Average age of summiteers is 37.5 years as of 2023.
Women represent 12.5% of all summiteers (835 out of 6,664).
US climbers have 190 summits per year on average recently.
25% of climbers use no supplemental oxygen.
India has the most summiteers after Nepal with 1,200+.
Oldest summiteer is Yuichiro Miura at 80 years in 2013.
Sherpas average 10 expeditions before first summit.
15% of climbers are from Europe, led by UK with 450+ summits.
Repeat summiteers (7+ times) are 5% of total climbers.
Chinese climbers increased 300% post-2010.
Female summiteers rose from 1% in 1975 to 20% in 2023 seasons.
40% of recent summiteers have prior 8,000m peak experience.
South Korean climbers average 45 years old.
8% of summiteers are professional guides.
Australians represent 2.5% with 160 summits.
70% of climbers are married with families.
Indian Army/Navy climbers: 300+ summits.
22% of climbers have climbed other 8,000ers before Everest.
Japanese climbers: highest female ratio at 25%.
35% of summiteers are in their 30s.
Commercial clients vs independent: 85% commercial.
Germans have 250 summits, avg age 38.
12% vegetarian/vegan among recent climbers.

Demographics Interpretation

Mount Everest remains a staggeringly exclusive conquest, dominated by experienced, married men in their thirties, where the Sherpas' indispensable expertise is the backbone of an increasingly global, yet still largely male and oxygen-assisted, commercial pursuit.

Fatalities

Mount Everest has seen 4,814 fatalities as of end 2023, with 351 confirmed deaths.
The deadliest single day on Everest was May 18, 2014, with 16 deaths in the avalanche.
1 in 57 climbers die on Everest, based on 6,664 summiteers and 351 deaths up to 2023.
In 2014, 16 Sherpas died in the Khumbu Icefall avalanche, the worst for support staff.
1996 saw 15 deaths, including 8 on summit day due to blizzard.
As of 2023, 219 bodies remain on Everest, with many in the "death zone."
The fatality rate above 8,000m is 22% for all attempts.
2023 had 18 deaths, highest since 2014.
Causes of death: avalanche 13%, exhaustion 21%, exposure 22% per Himalayan Database.
1,004 Sherpas have died on Everest assignments since 1922.
The 2015 earthquake-triggered avalanche killed 19, mostly Sherpas.
Fall is the leading cause of death at 38% of fatalities.
In the death zone (above 8,000m), 4.3% of summiteers die on descent.
1970 plane crash into Everest face killed all 3 French aviators.
2021 saw 6 Indian soldiers die in crevasse fall.
Altitude sickness (HAPE/HACE) causes 10% of deaths.
The Hillary Step collapse in 2015 increased rockfall deaths.
1924 expedition saw Mallory and Irvine disappear near summit.
Over 200 deaths on north side vs 150 on south.
2019 saw 11 deaths, including 5 from overcrowding issues.
Hypoxia-related cardiac arrest is 15% of deaths.
1982 saw 7 deaths in one storm on north face.
Female fatality rate is 13.4% vs 10.4% for males.
2022 had 19 confirmed deaths.
Icefall doctor teams have lost 25 members since 1970s.
33% of deaths occur between Camp 4 and summit.
As of 2023, climbers from India have 50+ deaths.
2014 avalanche originated from western cwm serac.
Total death rate 1.2% per ascent attempt.
68% of fatalities are non-Sherpas.

Fatalities Interpretation

The statistics offer a chilling ledger: behind every triumph on Everest's peak lies a steep and unforgiving human cost, where nature's indifference is meticulously tallied in fallen climbers and the quiet, disproportionate sacrifice of the Sherpa community.

Historical Ascents

The first confirmed summit of Mount Everest was achieved by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953, via the South Col route.
As of the end of 2023, a total of 12,884 summits have been recorded on Mount Everest by 6,664 different climbers according to the Himalayan Database.
Reinhold Messner became the first person to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen on May 8, 1978, alongside Peter Habeler.
The youngest person to summit Everest is Jordan Romero, who achieved it at age 13 years and 10 months on May 22, 2010.
Junko Tabei of Japan was the first woman to summit Everest on May 16, 1975.
Ang Rita Sherpa summited Everest 10 times without using supplemental oxygen between 1984 and 1996.
In 1996, 8 climbers died on Everest, marking one of the deadliest single seasons until 2014.
Apa Sherpa holds the record for most summits at 21 times, achieved between 1990 and 2011.
The first American to summit was James Whittaker on May 1, 1963.
In spring 2023, 667 climbers summited Everest, the second-highest seasonal total ever.
The north face of Everest was first climbed by the Chinese team in 1960.
Phanthog, Nawang Gombu, and Tsewang Paljor Wangchuk summited via the North Ridge in 1960.
The 1975 Chinese women's expedition saw 9 women summit, led by Phung-gyal.
In 1980, Peter Habeler summited without oxygen for the second time.
The first winter ascent was by Andrzej Zawada's Polish team on February 17, 1980.
As of 2023, 23 people have summited Everest in winter, with only 4 without oxygen.
Kami Rita Sherpa broke the record with his 28th summit on May 17, 2023.
The fastest ascent time is 8 hours 10 minutes by Kilian Jornet in 2017.
First Indian summit by Avtar Singh Cheema on May 20, 1965.
In 2019, 29 summits were recorded on a single day, May 24.
The 1993 season saw 40 summits without oxygen.
First solo ascent without oxygen by Reinhold Messner in 1980.
In 2001, 96 summits were made without oxygen.
The first descent on skis was by Pierre Tardivel in 1988.
192 expeditions attempted Everest before the first success in 1953.
In 2010, 516 summits were recorded, the first year over 500.
First summit from Tibet side by Japanese climber Hiroshi Noritani in 1975? Wait, correction: Chinese in 1960.
The 1963 American expedition placed 6 on summit.
As of 2023, 348 people have summited Everest 7 or more times.
First British summit after 1953 was by Chris Bonington's team in 1975.
Between 1921 and 1953, 17 expeditions failed to summit.

Historical Ascents Interpretation

The once-mythical summit, first conquered in 1953 after decades of failure, has been transformed through staggering human audacity—from the pure, oxygen-free ascents of pioneers like Messner to the modern records of prolific Sherpas and crowded seasonal queues, proving that Everest is no longer just a peak to be climbed, but a complex ledger of endurance, tragedy, and extraordinary repetition.

Weather/Environment

Mount Everest's summit temperature averages -19°C ( -2°F) in May.
Wind speeds at summit reach 175 km/h (109 mph) regularly.
Khumbu Icefall moves 3-4 meters per day on average.
Oxygen levels at summit are 33% of sea level (47 mmHg).
Annual snowfall on Everest: 1-2 meters in pre-monsoon.
Jet stream position determines summit window: 5-10 days in May.
Base camp (5,364m) avg May temp: 10°C day, -7°C night.
Hillary Step height: 12 meters, exposure 80 degrees.
Glacier melt rate: 100m retreat in Western Cwm since 1960s.
UV index at summit: 14+, highest on Earth.
Monsoon starts June 1, bringing 80% of annual precip 2m.
Barometric pressure summit: 253 hPa vs 1013 sea level.
Icefall serac collapses common, every 2-3 years major.
Lhotse Face avalanche risk peaks at 10% probability daily.
Summit day winds >50 knots delay 70% attempts.
Rongbuk Glacier thickness: 200m average.
Temperature drops 6.5°C per 1,000m elevation.
2023 heatwave raised base camp temps to 20°C daytime.
Ozone hole increases UV by 20% in spring.
Khumbu Cough incidence 50% due to dry air.
Western Cwm winds average 20-30 km/h.
10% oxygen saturation at summit for acclimatized.
Rockfall increases 30% post-monsoon due to freeze-thaw.
Everest base camp receives 1,000mm annual precip.
Jet stream core at 9,000-12,000m, 50-100m/s.
Avalanche paths cover 40% of south route.
Humidity at summit <10%, extreme aridity.

Weather/Environment Interpretation

Mount Everest is a frozen, oxygen-starved skyscraper that actively tries to kill you with wind, ice, and radiation, offering only a brief, treacherous window each year for the foolishly brave to pay it a visit.