June heatwave: Estimated 5,764 additional deaths in France

Paris – July 23, 2026: According to preliminary estimates by France’s public health agency, the exceptional heatwave from June 17 to July 2 caused at least 5,764 additional deaths in France. Compared with the statistically expected level, this corresponds to a 36.2% increase in all-cause mortality in the affected period and departments. The French national health agency published these figures on July 22.

The statistics cover 92 departments, representing 98.5% of the population of mainland France. In these areas, 21,674 deaths were recorded during the heatwave, compared with a statistical expectation of 15,910. More than half of the additional deaths, or 56%, occurred during the three days from June 25 to 27.

Excess mortality was particularly pronounced in the Île-de-France region. An estimated 1,999 additional deaths occurred there, an increase of 81.2%. The Grand Est, Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire regions also saw significant increases. By contrast, Corsica, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur did not experience an increase in all-cause mortality during the study period due to lower heat exposure.

This is the first time that this type of statistical analysis has included all age groups aged 15 and over. Among people aged 75 and over, there were at least 3,719 additional deaths, accounting for around two-thirds of the preliminary total. Increases were also found at all recorded places of death: hospitals, homes and nursing care facilities. These figures indicate that the impact extended far beyond individual particularly high-risk groups.

According to Météo-France, June 24 and 25 recorded the highest daily average temperatures ever measured in France: for the first time, the nationwide 24-hour average temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius. According to the assessment by France’s public health agency, the intensity of this heatwave exceeded that of August 2003, but it did not reach the level of excess mortality caused that year. Its unusually long duration and its earlier occurrence in the year intensified the consequences.

The figures currently published are not medical cause-of-death statistics, but model estimates based on all-cause mortality. They are based on reports from civil registry offices in around 5,000 municipalities, covering approximately 84% of deaths nationwide, and are then extrapolated. The data were cut off on July 20 and have not yet been finalized. A verified summer statistical report is expected to be published in the autumn, with more precise attribution of the effects. Therefore, comparison with the more than 5,700 heat-related deaths during the entire summer of 2025 is only of limited methodological comparability.