Heat-related mortality among people over 65 years old in Europe has increased by 85% since the early 2000s.

Omissions

• The 85% figure is a comparison between two five-year windows — 2000–2004 and 2017–2021 — and does not extend up to the present; the most recent data available at the time of the session (e.g. the 2026 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown) indicate heat-attributable deaths in Europe reached an estimated 62,000 in 2024, so the increase has continued beyond 2021.
• The figure originates from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, which the WHO fact sheet summarises; the claim does not cite any source.

Sources

• PrimaryWorld Health Organization — Heat and health (fact sheet)Heat-related mortality for people over 65 years of age increased by approximately 85% between 2000–2004 and 2017–2021.
• AcademicLancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change — Heat and healthHeat is a major and growing threat to public health, driving a sharp rise in illness and death, especially among older adults and other vulnerable groups.
• AcademicLancet Countdown — 2026 Report (Europe)Nearly all parts of the continent (99.6% of sub-country regions) are seeing rising heat-attributable deaths – reaching an estimated 62,000 deaths in 2024.