Heat-related deaths in Switzerland are determined annually at national and cantonal level. Monitoring is carried out as part of the federal government's climate change adaptation strategy. The current time series covers the years 1980-2024.
High temperatures can put a strain on human health and lead to death. Due to climate change, average summer temperatures have increased in recent decades. This trend will continue in the future.
The summer of 2024 was the sixth warmest summer since records began in 1864. There were no periods of extreme heat on the northern side of the Alps, while new August temperature records were set on the southern side. A total of 326 deaths were attributed to the heat. This corresponds to around four cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In August, the high temperatures led to more than 20 heat-related deaths per day. The highest heat-related mortality rates, with 13 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, were recorded in Ticino. On the northern side of the Alps, heat-related mortality rates ranged between 2 and 5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, depending on the region. Around 85% of heat-related deaths were among people aged over 75, and just over half (53%) were women.
Development of heat-related deaths 1980 - 2024
As the figure below shows, the heat-related mortality rate (left axis) has not increased in parallel with the rise in the mean summer temperature (right axis) in recent decades. The summer of 2024 was one of the hottest summers since records began. Nevertheless, mortality rates were in line with the average for recent years. A certain adaptation of the population appears to be possible, especially in moderately hot temperatures. This may be a physiological adaptation or the preventive effect of heat protection measures - for example through changes in the population's behavior or structural measures.
On the other hand, the heat-related mortality rate on hot or very hot days has tended to increase over the period analyzed. This is related to the increase in such days. Here, the adaptation through the implemented protective measures seems to have had little effect.
Todey, heat-related deaths increasingly affect people over the age of 75. In the 1980s and 1990s, people under the age of 75 were also increasingly affected. Younger people appear to be more adaptable to the increasing heat and are more likely to benefit from current protective measures compared to older people.
Adaptation measures to the increasing heat
On very hot days, heat-related mortality is significantly higher than on hot or moderately hot days. Protective measures are therefore particularly important on very hot days. However, because moderately hot and hot days occur more frequently, most heat-related deaths are ultimately recorded on such days (see figure above). Overall, measures to protect the health of the population on moderately hot to very hot days are therefore important.
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is investigating which measures are being implemented and what gaps may exist in a project on the status of implementation of heat adaptation measures together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in 2023 - 2026.
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Last modification 21.08.2025
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