Health in Germany

Germany is working hard to make sure everyone has good health care. As of 2025, experts say Germany is doing 90% of what is possible for the right to health, considering how much money the country has.

People in Germany can expect to live well into their later years, staying healthy and educated. From 1990 to 2016, Germany was ranked twenty-fourth out of 195 countries for expected human capital. This means people born in Germany during that time could look forward to about 25 years of healthy, educated life between the ages of 20 and 64.

Life expectancy

In 2014, Germany was ranked 20th in the world for how long people live. Men lived about 76.5 years on average, and women lived about 82.1 years.

The country also had a very low number of babies who did not survive their first year. Only about 4 babies out of every 1,000 did not live to see their first birthday in 2014.

Epidemiology

See also: Obesity in Germany

Obesity is a big health problem in Germany. A study from 2007 showed that Germany had more people who were overweight than any other country in Europe. However, some other places like the United Kingdom and parts of Eastern Europe had even more people who were very obese.

In 2015, it was estimated that about 11.5% of people in Germany had a condition called diabetes type 2. For women, the most common health problems in 2020 were heart disease, memory loss, and problems with the heart and blood vessels. For men in 2002, the most common reason for leaving the hospital was heart disease, followed by issues related to alcohol and problems with the belly.

In 2016, a study looked at how often heart and blood vessel problems happened in different parts of Germany. It found that places with fewer heart doctors had more of these problems. Some areas like Bremen and parts of old East Germany had more heart problems and people did not live as long.

Around 2013, about 24.5% of adults in Germany smoked. Among young people aged 18 to 25, about 35% smoked.

At the end of 2004, a small number of people in Germany, about 44,900, were affected by a health condition called HIV/AIDS. In the first half of 2005, health workers noticed about 1,164 new cases.

A report from 2015 found that people in Germany did not live as long as people in some other big European countries like Italy, France, and Spain, although they still lived longer than the average for all of Europe. The report also noted that while problems with the heart and blood vessels were happening less often, cancer was becoming a more common reason for people to pass away. Memory loss problems were also increasing, with more people passing away from a specific type called Alzheimer's disease between 2000 and 2014.

History

In the late 1800s, Berlin was very crowded with many people living close together. Most homes did not have toilets, and diseases like cholera and typhus spread often. A doctor named Rudolf Virchow suggested building better sewage systems to help stop these diseases.

Later, in 1883, a leader named Otto von Bismarck started important laws to help people stay healthy, like insurance for sickness, accidents, and old age. By 2014, Germany had many doctors available, with about 3 doctors for every 1,000 people.

Vaccination

In Germany, a group of experts called the Standing Committee on Vaccination makes suggestions about which vaccines people should get. The Robert Koch Institute in Berlin collects information about how many children are vaccinated when they start school.

This group meets twice a year to talk about diseases that vaccines can prevent. While they make suggestions, getting vaccinated in Germany is a personal choice and not required by law. Each state can decide on additional recommendations for its area. The group also suggests vaccines for certain jobs, travelers, and other groups who might need extra protection.