As of: 08/09/2022 3:26 p.m
Almost 10,000 more people than usual in July died in Germany last month. According to the Federal Statistical Office, this is also due to the heat. The phenomenon is not new – but much more pronounced than before.
Twelve percent more people died in Germany in July than in the previous four years, also as a result of the heat. That comes from one Extrapolation by the Federal Statistical Office out. A total of 85,285 deaths were counted – 9130 more than the average between 2018 and 2021.
As in June, the number of deaths increased, especially when it was particularly hot. According to the information, they were well above the comparative values in the three weeks from July 11 to 31: with a respective increase of 16, 24 and 14 percent.
Effect exceptionally strong this year
“The fact that the number of deaths increases in the course of heat waves is a well-known effect that has already been observed in previous years,” the statisticians explained. “This year, however, an exceptionally large number of weeks will be affected by this effect by the end of July.”
According to the German Weather Service, the highest temperatures of the year so far were measured on July 20th. On that day, the 40-degree mark was exceeded in several places in Germany.
Little impact from the corona pandemic
In its monthly statistics, the Federal Office always considers the number of people who have died as a result of a Covid 19 infection. According to the information, these deaths reported to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) could only be considered up to the week of July 11th to 17th. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the RKI counted 508 corona fatalities in these seven days.
The total number of deaths in the week in question was 2,525 cases (16 percent) above the average value of the four previous years. While the number of corona infections fell from the beginning of April to mid-June, they have increased slightly since then. “The increased number of deaths during this time explains them only to a small extent,” it said.