According to the Robert-Koch Institute (RKI), an estimated 11,900 people have died in Germany this summer due to heat. The Institute announced on Thursday that the majority of these deaths, totaling 9,600 cases, are attributed to the particularly hot week at the end of June. The impact of this heatwave was seen as a sharp rise in mortality during Calendar Week 26 and the subsequent week.
The analysis, which covers estimated heat-related deaths from Calendar Weeks 15 through 30/2026, is compiled alongside the mortality figures issued by the Federal Statistical Office, though there is a delay of several days in the data release. Analysis shows that individuals aged 75 and older are the most vulnerable demographic, and more women than men died, a trend attributed to the higher proportion of women in older age groups.
The RKI’s findings are based on air temperature data collected from 52 meteorological stations run by the German Weather Service. Furthermore, the Institute warns that a rise in overall mortality is predicted when the average weekly temperature reaches approximately 20°C.
