63,000 heat-related deaths in Europe Climate crisis increasingly affects human health
Experts warn that climate change is increasingly threatening human lives. At the same time, state subsidies for fossil fuels are at an all-time high and public interest in climate protection is waning.
22.04.2026, 06:05
22.04.2026, 06:12
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- The consequences of climate change for Europe are serious: according to a study, mortality from heat has risen massively.
- A new study now puts the shocking facts on the table: our health is in serious danger.
- More heat-related deaths are just one consequence of the climate crisis.
- The researchers found that the season for all allergenic tree species started one to two weeks earlier in the period from 2015 to 2024 compared to 1991 to 2000 - meaning those affected are plagued by hay fever earlier.
- The risk of tropical infectious diseases is also increasing because tropical mosquitoes are increasingly spreading the relevant viruses.
Climate change is having an increasing impact on the health of people in Europe. According to the "Lancet Countdown Europe Report 2026" on climate change and health, the number of heat-related deaths increased in 99.6 percent of the regions surveyed between 2015 and 2024 compared to 1991 and 2000. The number of heat-related deaths is rising in almost all parts of the continent - estimated at almost 63,000 in 2024.
The average annual overall increase was 52 deaths per million inhabitants; in parts of Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria, the figure is more than 120 in most cases. The study by an international group led by Joacim Rocklöv from Heidelberg University Hospital has been published in the specialist journal "The Lancet".
"We see very clearly that climate change driven by the use of fossil fuels poses a growing threat to the health of an ever-increasing number of people in Europe," said Rocklöv. The number of days with extreme heat health warnings increased by 318 percent on average in Europe between 2015 and 2024 compared to 1991 and 2000. The increase was highest in Western Europe, including Germany, at 450 percent.
Pollen allergy sufferers suffer
In addition to heat, the researchers identified other health risks associated with climate change. Between 2015 and 2024, they found that the season for all allergenic tree species started one to two weeks earlier than between 1991 and 2000 - meaning that those affected will be plagued by hay fever earlier. The risk of tropical infectious diseases is also increasing because tropical mosquitoes are increasingly spreading the relevant viruses. For example, the annual risk of transmission of the dengue virus in Europe increased by 297 percent between 2015 and 2024 compared to 1980 and 2010. The vectors of malaria, West Nile fever and other diseases are also finding increasingly better conditions for spreading.
The researchers also found positive developments: For example, the share of renewable energy in the total European electricity supply increased to 21.5 percent in 2023, compared to 8.4 percent in 2016. Nevertheless, a lot of money continues to flow into fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil. "Although Europe has committed in several international forums to gradually reduce fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, a sharp increase in subsidies was recorded for 2023/2024, triggered by the energy crisis resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine," write the authors of the study. According to them, subsidies amounted to 444 billion euros in 2023 alone.
More deaths due to the burning of biomass
The researchers are also concerned about a trend in renewable energies: solid biomass accounted for 31% of total renewable energy consumption in 2023. Burning biomass such as wood pellets counts as renewable energy production because only the carbon dioxide (CO2) that was absorbed during growth in our age is released. However, toxic substances and particulate matter are released into the atmosphere during combustion. According to the report, deaths attributable to the burning of biomass in residential buildings increased by four percent between 2000 and 2022.
The researchers warn that the health consequences of climate change should not be underestimated. "More and more countries are planning adaptation measures in the health sector, but without long-term and reliable funding, these plans will disappear into a drawer while the effects continue to worsen," said lead author Hedi Kriit from Heidelberg University Hospital. Rocklöv emphasized: "The decisions we make now will determine whether the health consequences worsen rapidly or whether we move towards a safer, fairer and more resilient Europe."
