As reported by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Thursday, approximately 9,800 people across Germany have died due to high temperatures up to the 29th calendar week of this year. This figure means that in 2026, more people have died from the heat than in any other year since the RKI began systematically evaluating heat-related fatalities in 2016. The highest recorded numbers previously occurred in 2018 and 2019, with roughly 7,000 or more heat-related deaths in each year.
The fatalities show a distinct age disparity. While an estimated 630 people under the age of 65 died due to heat, 5,420 individuals in the over-85 age group were affected. The mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants varies significantly across age groups, rising from 1.0 among those under 65, up to 12.5 for those aged 65 to 74, and reaching a high of 167.4 for those over 85.
The RKI clarified that while extreme, acute heat stroke can cause immediate death, in the majority of cases, fatalities result from a combination of heat exposure and pre-existing health conditions. Consequently, heat is usually not listed as the underlying cause of death on the register. Instead, statistical methodologies must be employed to accurately estimate the extent of heat-related mortality.
Furthermore, the reports link these escalating heatwaves to anthropogenic global warming, noting that the effect will intensify as greenhouse gases continue to be released into the atmosphere, primarily through the burning of coal, oil, and gas. According to an analysis by the scientific initiative World Weather Attribution (WWA), the temperatures observed during the late June 2026 heatwave would have been “practically impossible” in June of 1976 and highly improbable at any other time of year.
