At least 5,764 additional deaths during the June heat in France

Paris – 23 July 2026: The exceptional heat period from 17 June to 2 July 2026 caused at least 5,764 additional deaths in France, according to a new preliminary assessment. The national health authority Santé publique France announced this on 22 July. In the 92 affected departments, all-cause mortality was 36.2 percent above the statistically expected level.

The authority recorded 21,674 deaths during the periods analysed, compared with 15,910 expected deaths. This is the largest excess mortality recorded during a heatwave since 2003, although it did not reach the scale seen then. The figures show a temporal link with the extreme heat, but do not attribute a medically confirmed direct cause of death to each individual death.

Excess mortality was particularly concentrated on the days from 25 to 27 June. These three days accounted for 56 percent of the estimated additional deaths. According to Santé publique France, nationwide average daily temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius were reached for the first time on 24 and 25 June. Several cities simultaneously recorded exceptionally high maximum temperatures.

Île-de-France was the most affected region, with an estimated 1,999 additional deaths and excess mortality of 81.2 percent. Grand Est, Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire also reported clearly elevated figures. In Corsica, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, by contrast, no excess mortality was recorded during the period under consideration; the heat burden there was lower.

According to the analysis, all age groups from 15 years onwards were affected. People aged 75 and over accounted for the largest share: at least 3,719 additional deaths were estimated for this group, nearly two-thirds of the provisional total. The authority thus points to the greater vulnerability of older people and those with pre-existing health conditions to prolonged heat.

More deaths were recorded in all main places of death: in hospitals, at home, and in care facilities and nursing homes. The heatwave affected 98.5 percent of the population of metropolitan France. Its early onset, intensity and duration also coincided with a period when schools and workplaces were still largely open.

Santé publique France stresses that the assessment presented is not yet final. The calculation is based on all-cause mortality data available on 20 July and will continue to be reviewed after the conclusion of summer surveillance. A final analysis is expected to be available in autumn. The authority calls for heat protection measures to be implemented early and for particular support to be provided to vulnerable people.