Spain recorded 5,232 heat-related deaths in 2026, marking the highest toll since tracking began in 2015. According to data from the Carlos III Health Institute’s MoMo daily mortality monitoring system, older adults accounted for the vast majority of the fatalities during the summer heatwaves.
Spain experienced its deadliest heat season on record in 2026, with heat-related mortality surpassing 5,232 fatalities since the MoMo daily monitoring system began collecting comparable statistics in 2015.
The current figures span a monitoring period that opens annually on May 15, coinciding with the activation of national health plans designed to mitigate the effects of high temperatures. By the end of August, the cumulative toll had reached 5,232 deaths attributed to extreme heat, eclipsing previous highs set during severe summer seasons.
Monthly Totals and Comparisons to Previous Heatwaves
The annual total was driven by severe temperature spikes during the peak summer months. Preliminary estimates indicate that August alone accounted for 2,147 deaths, though that figure remains subject to adjustment as final mortality data is processed over the course of a week.
In July, the monitoring system registered 2,025 heat-related deaths. That figure represents nearly double the 1,060 deaths recorded in July 2025 and ranks as the second-deadliest July on record, trailing only the extreme heat of July 2022, which saw an estimated 2,217 fatalities.
The 2026 toll surpasses the figures from prior severe summers. In 2022, the MoMo system recorded 4,789 heat-related deaths, while the 2023 season saw 3,035 fatalities, and 2025 recorded 3,832 cases.
Vulnerable Populations and Statistical Methodology
The impact of the heat fell heavily on older demographics. Out of the 5,232 total deaths, 5,048 victims were individuals over the age of 65. Adults aged 85 and older accounted for 62% of the total, representing 3,256 cases, while women made up approximately 60% of the recorded deaths.
Health authorities emphasize that these figures do not represent individual cases where heat was noted directly by medics as the cause of death. Instead, the MoMo system uses statistical modeling to estimate deaths that can be linked to the influence of high temperature by analyzing mortality data alongside weather conditions.
Meteorological Context Across Europe
The mortality figures accompanied an exceptionally hot summer across the region. According to Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET, July 2026 tied with 2022 as the warmest July in the country’s observational history, while June registered as the second-warmest on record.
The intense heat was not confined to the Iberian Peninsula. Successive heatwaves swept across a large portion of the European continent, prompting emergency measures from authorities in multiple countries.
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