Although Germany has achieved progress in reducing preventable mortality in recent decades, this gap compared to many regions across Western Europe has not narrowed. According to a study published in the “European Journal of Population” conducted by researchers from the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) along with universities in Groningen and Oldenburg, the disparity has actually widened. Preventable deaths are defined as those that could have been avoided through effective medical treatment or preventive measures. The study analyzed data from 581 European regions spanning the period from 2002 to 2019.
Michael Mühlichen, a co-author and research assistant at the BiB, noted, “Contrary to many other Western European areas, many German regions consistently show higher rates of preventable mortality”. The northeastern part of Germany was particularly affected, including regions such as North Thuringia, Lower Saxony, and larger areas in Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
When examining the broader picture across Western Europe, a clear pattern emerges: relatively few deaths from avoidable causes occur in the Swiss region, as well as in large parts of Italy, France, and Spain. Researchers have identified these areas as stable “coldspots”. Within Germany, only the area between Tübingen and Ulm was occasionally classified as a coldspot. Conversely, “hotspots”-areas with comparably high rates of preventable death-were found outside of Germany, notably in Belgium, Northern and Northeastern France, Eastern Austria, and Southwestern Spain.
The researchers attribute these significant regional differences partly to varying efficiencies in the early detection and treatment of illnesses. Furthermore, the health-related behaviors of the population play a significant role. According to Mühlichen, in the area of prevention, Germany still has room for improvement in addressing common risk factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and lack of exercise.
The regional disparities, both within countries and across national borders, demonstrate that health inequalities in Europe cannot be explained solely by differences between national healthcare systems. Socioeconomic factors such as income, education, and employment prospects also play a major role. Pavel Grigoriev, a research group leader and co-author from the BiB, concluded that to reduce avoidable deaths over the long term, health policy measures must be more strongly aligned with regional needs, which stem from social conditions or health-related behaviors.