The current tuberculosis situation in Germany and worldwide
Tuberculosis situation in Germany
In October 2025, the Robert Koch Institute published its annual report on the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in Germany. In 2024, a total of 4,391 patients in Germany were newly diagnosed with tuberculosis. This corresponds to an incidence of 5.2 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants and shows a slight decrease compared to the previous year (2023: 4,494 cases; incidence 5.3). Demographically, men were again about twice as likely to be affected as women in 2024, and the highest incidences were observed in young adults aged 20 to 29. A total of 228 TB cases were registered in children (2023: 236 cases), with infants under 5 years of age being the most frequently affected.
Parallel to the total number of cases, there was also a change in the resistant forms of tuberculosis. The number of rifampicin-resistant or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (RR/MDR-TB) cases declined in 2024 compared to the previous year, falling from 204 cases (2023) to 157 cases (2024). Pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR-TB) was diagnosed in 30 cases, and XDR-TB in 3 cases. A total of 104 deaths were recorded in which tuberculosis was listed as the cause of death – slightly fewer than in the previous year (2023: 135). Tuberculosis figures are recorded and evaluated annually by the Robert Koch Institute and published in the Epidemiological Report.
Current TB case numbers for Germany
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Tuberculosis situation worldwide
The WHO estimates that 10.7 million people worldwide contracted tuberculosis in 2024 – 1% less than in the previous year. The number of deaths fell to 1.23 million. Nevertheless, tuberculosis remains one of the ten leading causes of death worldwide.
Two-thirds of all cases are concentrated in eight countries: India, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The disease not only affects those who have it, but also often has social and financial consequences. To end the global tuberculosis epidemic by 2035, the WHO has developed the End TB Strategy.