Deaths, life expectancy

14 July 2026 Sharp increase in mortality figures during heat wave at end of 2^nd quarter of 2026

Approximately 243,600 people died in Germany in the 2^nd quarter of 2026, according to provisional figures of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Mortality figures were mostly close to, or significantly below, the median values of the four previous years. The higher mortality figures in weeks with high average temperatures ("heatwaves") were an exception. This effect was particularly evident in the last week of June (22-28 June), when death figures were 32% higher than the median of the preceding four years, a development which coincided with a historic heatwave (only in German). The results indicate that approximately 23,900 people died in Germany that week, which represented an increase of approximately 7,100 deaths compared with two weeks earlier. For the individual months, the difference in relation to the respective median of the years 2022 to 2025 stood at -5% for April and -2% for May. In the month of June, which was marked by a period of hot weather, the mortality figures registered were 9% higher than the corresponding comparative value. The fact that exposure to heat is associated with adverse effects on health and a subsequent increase in mortality is a well-documented phenomenon that has been frequently observed (only in German) in summer months in the past.

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