New report from the Robert Koch Institute: tuberculosis case numbers on an upward trend in 2023

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) published its tuberculosis (TB) report for 2023 on March 20, 2025. A total of 4,481 TB cases were registered in Germany, which corresponds to an incidence of 5.3 per 100,000 - an increase of 10.4% compared to the previous year. The number of TB cases in children also rose significantly: 242 cases were reported, 26% more than in 2022. The 10 to 14 age group was particularly affected.

Men and young adults between the ages of 25 and 29 were most frequently affected by TB in adulthood. The proportion of patients with foreign nationality remained largely unchanged at around 76.8%. Most TB cases were identified through passive case finding, i.e. through clarification of symptoms or incidental findings (80.4%). Other cases were actively identified, in particular through statutory screening in accordance with Section 36 of the Infection Protection Act (11.4%) and environmental testing (5.7%).

The number of resistant forms of TB also increased in 2023: 208 cases of rifampicin- or multidrug-resistant TB (RR/MDR-TB) were registered, 184 of which were classified as MDR-TB. In addition, 42 cases of pre-extensively resistant TB (pre-XDR-TB) and 6 cases of XDR-TB were reported.

Due to the long treatment duration, complete data on treatment outcomes is not yet available for 2023. The proportion of successful treatment outcomes from previous years was 63% for cases with rifampicin-sensitive TB (2022) and only around 51% for cases with RR/MDR-TB (2021).

Although Germany is still one of the countries with a low TB incidence, the upward trend in case numbers - particularly in children and resistant forms - underlines the need for consistent early detection, consideration of differential diagnoses and the complete recording of disease and treatment courses, according to the RKI.