Sick Leaves in Germany Doubled Since 2007

Key Takeaways

• Sick leave is shaped by public health, labour rules, and workplace practices rather than individual behaviour alone.
• The decline and eventual stability in sick leaves were a result of better workplace safety and health conditions, along with higher job insecurity and policy changes.
• The pandemic years heightened health risks and prevention measures, leading to an increase in sick leaves. The number peaked at 15.2 days in 2023.

Average Sick Leave per Employee in Germany

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Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

Stay tuned!

Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

A Long Decline

In the early 1990s, employees in Germany took around 12 to 13 working days off per year due to sickness. Over the next decade, this figure declined steadily.

By the mid-2000s, the figure had fallen to just over 8 days per employee, the lowest level in the entire time series. This reduction did not happen overnight. It reflected

• Workplace safety and health improvements
• Policy changes, such as mandatory doctor’s notes for absences over three days and labour incentives curbing short-term leaves

For workers and employers alike, this period was marked by more predictable working routines and fewer health-related interruptions.

From around 2010 to 2020, sick leave remained largely stable. It fluctuated within a narrow range, roughly between 9 and 11 days per year. This stability suggests that conditions influencing sick leave changed little during this period.

The Pandemic and a Noticeable Rise

From 2020 onward, average sick leave began to rise again. By 2022, working days lost due to sick leaves exceeded 14 days per employee. In 2023, it reached just over 15 days. Levels remained elevated compared with the pre-pandemic years.

This increase aligns closely with broader public-health developments. The pandemic years saw a higher incidence of infectious illness, clearer guidance to stay home when symptomatic, and growing recognition of longer recovery times following illness.

In this context, higher sick leave reflects recorded illness and precautionary absence. It is not a sudden shift in work ethic.

How to file a sick leave in Germany? ->

Impact of increased sick leaves on the German economy

46 million people in Germany are in the workforce as of 2024. An increase of just one day in sick leave means 46 million people didn’t work a day.

This is 46 million days of lost labor. It converts to 663,636 years (assuming 220 work days in a year).

On average, Germans work for 41 years during their lifetime. One sick leave is equivalent to 16,186 people getting paid for free for a lifetime.

The average number of sick leaves has increased from 8.1 to 15.2 days. This means 113,300 people will get a lifetime salary without working.

Or 1.48 million workers are sitting idle for an entire year. Every year. While collecting full pay.

According to the German Economic Institute (IW) (employer-affiliated), employers paid around €82 billion in sick leave costs in 2024. This is equal to German defence spending.

The Broader Debate

As sick leave increased, it moved from statistical tables into public discussion.

As sick leave rose, it became part of the public debate. Some employer groups argued that higher absence levels increase costs and proposed limiting sick pay at the start of an absence. Health experts and worker representatives countered that the data primarily reflects real health pressures and public-health guidance. They warned that cutting sick pay could encourage people to work while ill, increasing the risk of contagion.

The discussion highlights that sick leave trends are not a static measure. Rather, they are a reflection of broader social and economic conditions. They offer a lens into how societies, workplaces, and workers adapt to changing health landscapes over time.