Climate change linked to more than half of heat related deaths in Europe
More than half of the estimated heat-related deaths in 854 European cities between 2000 and 2025 were attributable to human-induced climate change, with the share rising from 39% in 2000 to 68% in 2025, according to a new study published in Nature Health, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Researchers estimated that heat caused 430,365 deaths across the cities during the 26 summer seasons studied, including 233,626 deaths linked to human-caused warming. The estimates cover June, July and August and are based on climate data, population figures and research on the relationship between temperature and mortality.
The study found that the number of estimated heat-related deaths across the cities increased from 9,720 in 2000 to 24,572 in 2025. The highest annual totals were recorded in 2022, with an estimated 29,480 deaths, followed by 2003, with 28,462.
Although the summer of 2003 remained one of the deadliest in absolute numbers, the researchers found that summers with similarly high expected death tolls have become more frequent in recent years. The share of heat-related deaths attributed to climate change was also considerably higher in 2025 than in 2003, increasing from 42% to 68%.
The impact varied considerably across Europe, with southern and southeastern parts of the continent recording the highest estimated heat-related death rates relative to population.
Croatia had the highest average rate, with an estimated 327 heat-related deaths per million residents over the study period. Malta followed with 226 deaths per million, and Romania with 223.
Among European capitals, Zagreb, Bucharest and Rome had the highest average annual heat-related death rates during the period studied.
The researchers also found that the proportion of heat-related deaths attributable to climate change increased over time in all 30 countries included in the analysis, although the scale of the impact differed by location.
People aged 85 and older accounted for the largest share of estimated heat-related deaths. The study attributed approximately 95,600 of the deaths in this age group to human-induced climate change.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Swiss glaciers lost more than 5% of their ice volume in 2026.