Nearly 10,000 people have died in Germany this year in connection with high temperatures, marking the highest annual death toll since 2016, according to estimates released by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
More than 5,000 of these fatalities were attributed to an intense heatwave that swept across the country in the second half of June. During this period, temperatures in some regions soared to nearly 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The European Union's Copernicus climate service confirmed that June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in western Europe.
The Federal Statistical Office reported a 32% increase in deaths during the week of June 22 to 28 compared to the same week last year. The RKI specifically linked at least 5,100 deaths during that particular week to the heat.
Heat is seldom listed as the direct cause of death on official certificates, unless a person succumbs to conditions such as heatstroke. Instead, high temperatures typically exacerbate pre-existing cardiovascular, respiratory, or kidney conditions, leading to heat often being referred to as a “silent cause of death.”
The RKI's monitoring data is published with a delay, as it relies partly on mortality figures compiled by the Federal Statistical Office. The institute's estimate indicated approximately 7,900 deaths from early April through July 12. An additional 1,900 deaths were attributed to heat during the subsequent week, from July 13 to 19.
Authorities caution that the final figure for the summer could still rise, as the current estimate does not account for hot weather experienced after July 19 and may be revised once more complete mortality data becomes available.
Age demographics reveal that almost 7,900 of the estimated deaths were among individuals aged 75 and above. This included 5,420 people aged 85 or older, 2,460 individuals between 75 and 84, and 1,260 aged between 65 and 74. Around 630 of those who died were younger than 65.
The institute's analysis, which draws on measurements from 52 weather stations operated by the German Weather Service, noted that mortality typically sees a noticeable increase during weeks when the average temperature exceeds 20 degrees Celsius.
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Its analysis draws on measurements from 52 weather stations operated by the German Weather Service.
