The number of inpatient treatments for endometriosis in Germany rose 50.1 % over a decade. In 2014 there were 25,100 such hospitalisations, whereas in 2024 that figure climbed to about 37,700.
This sharp increase is likely not solely due to a higher prevalence of the disease. Greater awareness among patients and doctors probably played a role, as 91.1 % of the women who were hospitalised for endometriosis in 2024 were aged 20 to 49.
Other frequent gynecological conditions that lead to hospital stays include uterine fibroids and uterine prolapse.
” Fibroids – in 2024 almost 48,700 women were treated in hospital, down 26.6 % from 66,300 in 2014. Roughly half of those treated (48.4 %) were between 40 and 49 years old.
” Uterine prolapse – inpatient care for this condition fell by 4.6 %, from about 48,300 women in 2014 to 46,100 in 2024. The majority of these patients (72.6 %) were older than 60.
In 2024 the most common reasons for a woman’s hospital admission were: cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure or atrial fibrillation (12.8 % of all female patients), injuries and poisonings – for example femoral fractures – (10.4 %), and pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period (9.4 %).
For men the leading causes were: cardiovascular diseases (16.9 % of male admissions), digestive‑system illnesses (10.8 %) and injuries or poisonings (9.7 %).
When looking at causes of death, gender differences are pronounced. In 2024 cardiovascular diseases accounted for 35.4 % of all female deaths-still the leading cause-equating to 178,742 women who died from these conditions. For men, cardiovascular disease comprised 31.9 % of deaths, amounting to 160,470 male deaths.
Cancer caused 21.1 % of female deaths (106,774), whereas it was responsible for 24.6 % of male deaths (123,618).
These health disparities also appear in life expectancy. In 2024 the average life expectancy at birth in Germany was 83.5 years for women and 78.9 years for men-a difference of 4.6 years. Rising prosperity, better medical care, and differences in health‑behaviour patterns-such as smoking, exercise, diet, risky activities, and working conditions-are main drivers of the higher longevity in women.