Germany’s severe summer heatwave has claimed an estimated 9,800 lives this year, according to the country’s public health authority, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The institute said it is the highest number of heat-related excess deaths recorded since it began tracking the data in 2016.
The estimate is based on mortality data analyzed through July 19. According to the RKI, the vast majority of those who died were 75 years of age or older. Women accounted for a larger share of the deaths, a trend experts attribute primarily to the fact that women generally have a longer life expectancy in Germany and therefore make up a larger proportion of the elderly population.
The previous record was set in 2018, when an estimated 8,900 people died during an exceptionally hot summer. This year’s death toll has now surpassed that figure.
The RKI noted that most of the deaths were not caused directly by heatstroke. Instead, extreme temperatures aggravated pre-existing health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses and kidney disorders, significantly increasing the risk of death.
As a result, heat is rarely listed as the direct cause of death on official death certificates, meaning heat-related fatalities are often not reflected as a separate category in government mortality statistics. The institute estimates heat-related deaths by comparing mortality during heatwave periods with expected mortality under normal seasonal conditions.
Public health experts warn that climate change is making heatwaves across Europe more frequent, prolonged and intense. They say the latest figures underscore the urgent need for stronger heat preparedness measures, particularly to protect older adults and people with underlying health conditions.
Source: Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), Reuters, and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)