Overview

• The RKI logged 9,519 syphilis infections in 2024, a 3.9% rise from 2023.
• Incidence was highest in Berlin at 35.7 per 100,000 and Hamburg at 30.3, compared with a national average of about 11.2.
• Men who have sex with men accounted for the majority of infections, while women made up roughly 7.6% of reported cases.
• The pace of growth has eased since the post‑pandemic surge, which included a 23.7% year‑over‑year increase in 2022.
• The RKI links the rise to shifting sexual behaviour, more contacts via apps, party‑drug use and reduced condom use, and notes that PrEP‑related screening is detecting asymptomatic cases that could help interrupt transmission.