Mount Everest: Deaths and Successful Summits by the Numbers (2022)

As of May 2022, Mount Everest has claimed 311 lives—223 on the Nepal side, 88 on the Tibetan side. Most deaths (64%) occur during ascent, especially in the "death zone" above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet). Leading causes: altitude sickness, avalanches, falls, exposure.

Conversely, over 6,000 successful summits have been recorded since Hillary and Norgay's first in 1953. The busiest year was 2018 with 807 summits. Success rates have risen due to better gear, forecasting, and commercial guiding, but the mountain remains inherently dangerous.