Excess mortality in Germany during 2020-2023: A descriptive age-stratified analysis

The study examined excess mortality in Germany from 2020 to 2023 and its temporal alignment with reported COVID-19 deaths. The analysis used annual and weekly all-cause mortality data and baseline trends from pre-pandemic years. Excess mortality was observed in all investigated years, reaching its highest value in 2022. In absolute terms, the age group of 80 years and older accounted for the largest proportion of excess deaths. After 2021, elevated mortality was also observed in younger age groups down to 15 years of age, although absolute numbers remained substantially lower than in older groups. No excess mortality was observed for individuals younger than 15 years. Periods of excess mortality were temporally aligned with waves of reported COVID-19 deaths. In 2020, cumulative excess mortality after week 11 closely matched reported COVID-19 deaths (43,876 versus 41,835 deaths). In 2023, excess mortality declined substantially, possibly indicating a return to pre-pandemic mortality levels.