The number of syphilis infections in Germany reached a record high last year. In 2024, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 9,519 cases of syphilis, according to its epidemiological bulletin. In 2023, the figure stood at 9,159 cases. That represents an increase of 3.9 percent.
There were pronounced regional differences in the distribution of syphilis infections. The highest incidences last year were recorded in Berlin, at 35.7 cases per 100,000 residents, and in Hamburg, at 30.3 per 100,000. Bremen also exceeded the national average of 11.2 per 100,000, with 14.0 cases per 100,000. Incidences in other states were below the national average, with Brandenburg reporting the lowest rate at 4.5 per 100,000 residents.
There were also differences by sex. The share of infected women was 7.6 percent last year.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that, according to the RKI, occurs only in humans. It can be transmitted sexually, from pregnant women to newborns, or through blood.
According to the institute, syphilis typically progresses in three stages: It begins with a usually painless sore shortly after infection. Thereafter, the disease may manifest as skin changes, and years after the initial infection, damage to the central nervous system and blood vessels can occur. Antibiotics treat syphilis, and reinfections are possible.
