Swiss Public Health Study Estimates 1,260 Heat-Related Deaths in Summer 2026

Swiss public health authorities recorded an estimated 1,257 heat-related deaths between May and August 2026. The preliminary figures were compiled by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute on behalf of the Federal Office of Public Health, with initial details reported by Tamedia newspapers.

The recorded fatalities account for approximately 5.5 percent of all deaths in Switzerland over the four-month timeframe, which equals 14 deaths per 100,000 residents. According to the institute, older demographics were disproportionately affected by the high temperatures, with individuals aged 75 and older accounting for roughly 85 percent of the victims.

Temperature analysis indicates that seven out of ten heat-related deaths occurred on days when the daily average temperature reached at least 25 degrees Celsius. The evaluation assigned 485 fatalities to days with average temperatures between 25 and 27 degrees, while 400 deaths occurred on hotter days averaging 27 degrees or higher.

The statistical model combined daily temperature records from MeteoSwiss with preliminary mortality figures from the Federal Statistical Office. Researchers noted that the estimated mortality scale is comparable to the severe heat summer of 2003, though a direct historical comparison is incomplete because the current analysis covers only the period through August.

The Swiss Federal Council had previously indicated in September that high summer temperatures would lead to excess mortality, projecting at that time around 570 excess deaths among citizens over 65 years old. The Federal Office of Public Health plans to publish its final report in the spring of 2027, incorporating data from September as well as detailed evaluations by age, gender, region, and canton.

Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com