Germany Records 12,500 Heat-Related Deaths in 2026 — Worst in a Decade

Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported on August 13 that at least 12,500 people died prematurely from heat-related causes in 2026 through August 2 — the highest toll recorded in the country in the past ten years, according to the institute's weekly report.

Deadliest Heat in a Decade

The RKI noted that this figure is a conservative estimate and that the actual number of heat-related deaths could be higher. The previous peak years were 2018, when approximately 9,400 people died from heat in Germany, and 2019, with around 7,700 deaths.

The states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate were hit hardest, registering 43.4 and 38.7 deaths per 100,000 residents respectively due to heat. The national average stands at 15 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Elderly Most Vulnerable

The data shows that people aged 85 and over were the most frequent victims, with approximately 6,300 deaths in this age group. More than 3,100 heat fatalities were among those aged 75 to 84.

June's Deadly Wave

A new heat wave is currently affecting Germany, though it is weaker than the June extreme that saw temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius in many regions. The RKI estimates that approximately 5,100 people died from the June heat wave alone. Europe-wide, AFP calculated at least 12,000 excess deaths during that month.

June and July 2026 were the hottest months ever recorded in Western Europe, with average temperatures 2.79°C above the 1991–2020 baseline, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.