According to preliminary data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday, approximately 230,428 people died in Germany during the third quarter of 2026.
The quarter showed significant variation in death rates depending on weather conditions. During periods of strong heat, mortality rates soared. For instance, the last complete week of June, marking the end of the second quarter, was characterized by a severe heatwave, with death toll figures running 36 percent above the average of the four preceding years. A notable increase also occurred the following week, transitioning from June to July, when figures were substantially elevated (+28 percent). Similarly, during a subsequent heatwave in calendar weeks 31 and 32 (July 27 to August 9), death figures surpassed corresponding average yearly rates by four percent in each week. This pattern aligns with established knowledge that heat places high stress on health and consequently increases mortality, a trend frequently observed in summer months.
Conversely, outside the major heatwaves, death rates in the third quarter generally fell below historical comparison averages, dropping by as much as nine percent during calendar week 36 (August 31 to September 6). Looking at monthly figures, the difference compared to the average of the years 2022 through 2025 was a four percent increase for July, a two percent decrease for August, and a five percent decrease for September. Overall, the third quarter saw death figures approximately 3,000 cases lower than the comparison averages. In contrast, the month of June alone registered a substantial increase, with death figures nearly 8,000 cases above the four-year average.
On a broader European scale, the EuroMomo network, which tracks mortality developments, utilizes proprietary calculations to compare excess mortality across the continent. They found that the most pronounced discrepancies during the summer heatwaves were evident earlier in the second quarter. For example, in late June, France and Belgium were flagged for “very high excess” mortality.
During calendar week 27 (June 29 to July 5), Belgium also showed a “high excess” of mortality, while Austria and Switzerland registered a “moderate excess.” Other nations in that same week noted at least a “low excess.” In the subsequent summer weeks, however, only isolated, minor deviations from expected trends were noted across Europe.
