Here’s a number that’ll stop you: over 330 people have died attempting the summit. That’s a fatal rate of about 1 in 33 climbers. Not great odds for a holiday snap.
The deadliest years have been when crowds and weather collide—like 2014 (avalanche) and 2015 (earthquake). But even in “calm” years, people freeze, run out of oxygen, or simply step off the edge. Everest doesn’t care about your follower count.
And here’s the kicker: women make up only about 10% of all summits. So if you’re a woman reading this, you’re in a rare club if you ever go. Meanwhile, the oldest person to summit was 80 (Yuichiro Miura in 2013), and the youngest was 13 (Jordan Romero in 2010). Make of that what you will—personally, I’d rather let my teenager play Fortnite.
What About “Success Rate”?
Fun stat: only about 60% of climbers who attempt Everest actually make it to the top. The rest turn back due to weather, altitude sickness, or sheer exhaustion. So those 11,000 summits represent a LOT of failed attempts.
How Many People Have Climbed Mount Everest? (Updated 2026 Statistics
If you’re thinking, “I could do it if I trained,” remember: money and luck matter more than grit. A bad storm or a broken oxygen tank can end your dream at any step. The mountain is the boss—and it’s a terrible manager.
And get this: over 7,000 people have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in a single year—that’s a casual hike compared to Everest. So while 6,700 summiteers sounds like a lot, it’s still a drop in the bucket of human ambition. You’re more likely to meet someone who’s climbed a volcano in Mexico than the top of the world.
