Overview

• DAK members in Rhineland-Palatinate recorded about 20 percent more sick days for respiratory problems in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.
• Overall sick leave in Rhineland-Palatinate reached 6.4 percent in Q1 2025, marking a 0.1-point rise from the previous year.
• The IGES Institute analyzed absence data from roughly 132,000 employed DAK health insurance members to assess regional trends.
• Reductions in other illness categories largely offset the respiratory surge, keeping the overall rate of sick leave relatively stable.
• Hessen also reported a significant uptick in respiratory-related absenteeism during the first quarter of 2025.