The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported record levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across the continent, with cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis reaching the highest figures since monitoring began.
According to data published by the EU agency on Thursday, more than 106,000 gonorrhoea cases were recorded in Europe in 2024, a rise of 4.3 per cent on the previous year and an increase of over 300 per cent since 2014.
The figure represents the highest recorded rate since the ECDC began monitoring STIs in 2009.
Syphilis numbers have followed a similar trend. Close to 46,000 cases were reported in 2024, an 8 per cent rise on 2023 and more than double the rate of 2015.
“Untreated, these infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility and, in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system,” said Bruno Ciancio, an expert in transmitted and vaccine-preventable diseases at the ECDC.
The European Union has struggled to bring STIs under control over the past decade. The agency has attributed the trend partly to improvements in testing and surveillance, though it has also pointed to changes in sexual behaviour, particularly among young people, who are more likely to forgo condom use.
The data also revealed that men who have sex with men accounted for more than half of all gonorrhoea and syphilis cases reported across Europe.
One of the most alarming findings concerned congenital syphilis, where the infection is passed from a pregnant mother to her unborn child. Untreated cases pose severe, life-threatening risks, including miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and newborn death.
Cases of congenital syphilis have nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024, rising from 78 to 140, the highest recorded figure in Europe since the ECDC began STI surveillance.
This was “probably one of the most concerning findings of the 2024 data,” said Otilia Mårdh, scientific officer of HIV, sexually transmitted infections and viral hepatitis at the ECDC.
Chlamydia has remained the most common STI in the region, though figures have continued a slight downward trend. Over 213,000 confirmed cases were reported in 2024, down from nearly 231,000 in 2023.
The ECDC has warned that targeted action is “urgently needed” to prevent further spread of these infections.
“Without decisive action, current trends are likely to continue, increasing negative health consequences and widening inequalities in access to care,” the agency said in its report.
The findings come as health authorities across EU member states face mounting pressure to step up prevention campaigns, expand testing services and improve sexual health education, particularly aimed at younger demographics.
