Preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) indicates that approximately 243,600 people died in Germany during the second quarter of 2026. Generally, mortality figures during this period hovered around the average of the previous four years, or sometimes below it. However, notable exceptions were observed in weeks characterized by high average temperatures.
This effect was particularly pronounced during the last week of June (June 22-28), when death rates were 32% above the four-year average, coinciding with a historical heatwave. In that specific week, about 23,900 people died in Germany-an increase of roughly 7,100 fatalities compared to two weeks earlier. Looking at individual months, the differences compared to the average of 2022 to 2025 were slightly lower: April saw a 5% decrease, and May saw a 2% decrease. In contrast, June, marked by the heatwave, registered mortality figures 9% higher than the corresponding comparative average. It is a widely recognized phenomenon that high heat increases health stress, subsequently leading to rising death rates, especially during the summer months.
Internationally, the Euromomo network, which monitors mortality trends and calculates excess deaths based on its own methodology, recorded significant deviations from expected trends across several European countries during the late June heatwave quarter. Specifically, the network currently reports a “very high excess” of mortality in the last week of June for France and Belgium. Numerous other nations have reported at least low or moderate excess deaths.
According to Euromomo, the classification of the last June week still has uncertainties because the calculations are partly based on incomplete death registration data. Statisticians note that as data is completed in the coming weeks, the true extent of the heatwave’s impact on mortality will be determined in greater detail.
