Study: Women Are More Likely Than Men to Die From Extreme Heat

In the summer of 2022, the number of heat-related deaths among women was 56% higher than among men, according to a study based on mortality data from 35 countries. Germany experienced its deadliest period of extreme heat in 2026, and data from the Robert Koch Institute show the same trend. But why?

One possible explanation is that women’s bodies are more vulnerable to heat because they are less adapted to high temperatures. However, not all scientists agree with this theory.

“Overall, studies tend to show only a slightly higher vulnerability to heat among women compared with men,” said Alexandra Schneider, deputy director of the Institute of Epidemiology at the Helmholtz Center Munich, according to DW.

In her view, older women with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions are at the greatest risk.

“We have about a hundred times more data and evidence on men. We know practically nothing about women,” said Toby Mundel, a kinesiology professor at Canada’s Brock University who studies human performance in extreme environments.

The Robert Koch Institute attributes the higher mortality rate among women to the fact that they live longer and therefore make up a larger share of the oldest age groups.

Meanwhile, British researcher Laurie Parsons argues that women overall spend 30% more working time in conditions that exceed heat-stress thresholds than men. And when the workday ends, he notes, men rest while women often prepare food, clean the house, and care for children.

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