POOREST EUROPEANS FACE GREATER RISK OF DYING FROM EXTREME TEMPERATURES: STUDY

Sat 09 May 2026:

A study published Friday by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) finds that socioeconomic inequality sharply raises the risk of dying from extreme temperatures across Europe.

The study analyzed more than 161 million deaths recorded between 2000 and 2019 across 32 European countries and quantified for the first time how social and economic disparities affect temperature-related mortality in urban and rural populations.

Researchers found that regions with higher levels of social deprivation were consistently more vulnerable to both heat and cold.

“Factors such as energy poverty, poorer housing conditions, reduced access to healthcare or lower health literacy may all contribute to increased risk,” the health institute said in a statement.

The study estimated that more than 300,000 temperature-related deaths across Europe could be linked to households being unable to adequately heat their homes.

Economic inequality was associated with around 177,000 deaths, while severe material and social deprivation accounted for approximately 157,000 deaths.

The research also found that wealthier regions with higher GDP per capita and longer life expectancy faced lower mortality during cold periods but higher risks during heatwaves, partly due to the “urban heat island” effect in densely built cities.

The report explained that in this phenomenon, urbanized areas experience higher temperatures due to heat absorption by asphalt and the lack of vegetation, among other factors.

However, even high-income regions are affected unevenly, as wealth distribution, housing conditions and socioeconomic structures influence vulnerability, the study said.

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Economic prosperity protects against cold, but not against heat

Regions with higher GDP per capita and longer life expectancy show lower mortality associated with cold, probably due to better insulated housing, stronger healthcare systems and lower energy poverty.

However, these same regions show higher mortality during heat. This phenomenon may be explained by intense urbanisation: dense cities and concentrated economic activity favour the “urban heat island” effect. In this climatic phenomenon, urbanised areas experience higher temperatures due to heat absorption by asphalt and the lack of vegetation, among other factors.

“Because climate change does not affect all populations equally, our results help assess and strengthen how socioeconomic factors are incorporated into adaptation policies,” explains Joan Ballester, principal investigator of the EARLY-ADAPT project and coordinator of the study. “Similar studies are needed in other regions. Although we know Europe is highly exposed to climate risks, there are still few comparable studies in the Global South,” he concludes.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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