Old infections return, ageing drives chronic illnessUpdated 6 October 2026
Trend summary
- Whooping cough reached 22,379 cases in 2024, and severe respiratory infections were linked to about 22,700 hospital deaths in winter 2025/26 (RKI estimate).
- Heart and circulatory diseases caused 339,212 deaths in 2024, a third of the total; dementia deaths rose 4.4% to 61,927.
- More than half of adults (53.7%) report a chronic illness, although age-standardised cancer death rates keep falling.
Old infections returnInfectious disease
22,379 whooping cough cases in 2024; 185 TBE risk districts.
Rates down, numbers upChronic disease
339,212 circulatory deaths in 2024; 61,927 dementia deaths.
How this page is built. Figures come from the official statistical releases linked above; where agencies publish provisional numbers we say so, because they are revised. German statistics are often published separately by each federal state (Land) and some only in German, so we say which area and period each figure covers and translate titles. Photos are public-domain or Creative Commons images credited in each caption; file photos are illustrative and are not from the events described unless the caption says so. This page tracks trends and is not personal safety, medical, legal or financial advice.