Gonorrhoea and Syphilis Hit Record Levels in Europe, ECDC Says

Gonorrhoea and syphilis have reached record levels in Europe, according to new data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The headline is broadly right, but the geography matters. ECDC’s figures refer to the European Union and European Economic Area, not every country on the continent or the wider WHO European Region. Even with that caveat, the direction is clear: bacterial sexually transmitted infections have been rising for a decade and reached new highs in 2024.

What happened

ECDC said its latest Annual Epidemiological Reports show sustained transmission of bacterial STIs across multiple countries. Gonorrhoea reached 106,331 confirmed cases in 2024, a crude notification rate of 26.9 per 100,000 people. That is the highest level recorded since European STI surveillance began in 2009.

Syphilis also continued its long rise. ECDC reported 45,577 syphilis cases in 2024, more than double the level seen in 2015. Chlamydia remains the most frequently reported STI by volume, with 213,443 cases, but the sharpest warning signal is the increase in gonorrhoea, syphilis and congenital syphilis.

What the data says

For gonorrhoea, the ECDC annual report says the EU/EEA notification rate increased 4.3% between 2023 and 2024 and 303% between 2015 and 2024. Rates varied heavily by country, from less than one case per 100,000 people to more than 100 per 100,000.

The highest age-specific rates were among women aged 20 to 24 and men aged 25 to 34. Men who have sex with men accounted for 62% of reported gonorrhoea cases in 2024, making them the most disproportionately affected group in the surveillance data.

Syphilis is also spreading beyond the groups most associated with earlier rises. ECDC highlighted increases among heterosexual populations, especially women of reproductive age. That matters because syphilis can be passed from a pregnant person to a baby during pregnancy.

Why congenital syphilis matters

The most disturbing line in the report is not only the adult case count. Congenital syphilis nearly doubled, from 78 cases in 2023 to 140 cases in 2024 across 14 reporting countries. ECDC said that was the highest level since 2009.

Congenital syphilis is preventable when infections are detected and treated during pregnancy. Rising cases point to missed screening, missed follow-up, unequal access to testing or delayed treatment. That is why ECDC frames the trend as a health-system warning, not just a behavioural one.

Why cases are rising

ECDC points to gaps in testing, prevention and access to care. Thirteen of 29 reporting countries still charge out-of-pocket costs for basic STI testing, according to the agency’s monitoring work. Uneven prevention strategies and post-pandemic behavioural changes may also be contributing.

Major reporting from the BBC and Euronews also noted that increased testing and improved reporting can lift recorded case numbers. That is true, but it does not fully explain the long-term rise. The scale of the increase, especially the 303% jump in gonorrhoea since 2015, suggests sustained transmission is part of the story.

What to watch next

The next signal is whether countries expand easier testing, faster treatment and partner notification. ECDC is also warning against casual use of doxycycline post-exposure prevention for gonorrhoea because of antimicrobial resistance concerns.

For individuals, the public-health advice remains basic but important: condoms with new or multiple partners, testing after symptoms or exposure, and prompt treatment. Gonorrhoea and syphilis are treatable, but untreated infections can lead to chronic pain, infertility, neurological or heart problems, and complications in pregnancy.

The record is not just a headline about sex. It is a signal that testing access, prevention and follow-up are failing unevenly across Europe.