The sickness rate in Germany saw a slight decline during the first half of 2026, according to an analysis conducted by DAK-Gesundheit, which reviewed absence data from 2.2 million employees. The overall sickness rate stood at 5.3 percent, marking a reduction of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year.
A striking trend noted in the data was a 21 percent reduction in illnesses related to respiratory tract conditions. Conversely, sick leave due to psychological illnesses increased by nine percent. As a result of this shift, mental health issues have become the most frequent cause of employee absenteeism.
Andreas Storm, CEO of DAK, welcomed the slight reduction in the overall sickness rate. The analysis provided insight into how quickly absences can evolve based on real-world health events. Storm emphasized that action is particularly needed regarding the large number of long-term illnesses that involve numerous missed working days. He praised the preventive initiatives aimed at a healthy working environment and the planned introduction of partial sick leave as suitable tools to sustainably lower the sickness rate.
The analysis further revealed that the sickness rate dropped across all age groups under 55, with the youngest workers showing the steepest decrease. Specifically, the 15- to 19-year-old and the 20- to 24-year-old groups each saw a reduction of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, the age group over 60 registered a 0.3 percentage point increase in the sickness rate due to an increase in the duration of the sick leaves taken by this demographic. Additionally, the average duration of illness slightly rose from 9.5 days in the first half of 2025 to 9.7 days in 2026.
