Sickness rate falls to 6.4% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, steady at 5.6% in Schleswig-Holstein: DAK

Sickness absence rates edge lower in the north

On 25 July, DAK-Gesundheit published its half-year report on sickness absence among its insured workers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein, compiled by the IGES Institut. The evaluation of roughly 60,000 employees in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern showed a sickness rate of 6.4 percent for the first six months of 2026, a decline of 0.1 percentage points from the same period in 2025. In Schleswig-Holstein, based on 111,000 insured individuals, the rate held at 5.6 percent, essentially unchanged year on year.

Respiratory diseases recede while other diagnoses climb

Both states saw a steep fall in sick notes tied to respiratory conditions. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern recorded a 16 percent drop versus the first half of 2025, and Schleswig-Holstein a 14 percent decline. The improvement was offset by increases elsewhere. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, absences due to musculoskeletal disorders rose 10 percent. Schleswig-Holstein experienced a 15 percent rise in mental health-related sick leave, displacing other categories to become the leading cause of absence in the state.

Illness duration broadly stable

The average duration of a sickness spell in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern remained at 10.3 days, identical to the prior year's first half. In Schleswig-Holstein, the average crept up from 9.0 days to 9.2 days. The stability in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the slight lengthening in Schleswig-Holstein suggest that while respiratory episodes may have been shorter, other conditions typically require longer convalescence.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern maintains top spot

Despite the improvement, the DAK's regional chief for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Andreas Mirwald, pointed out that the state continues to record the highest sickness rate in Germany. He framed the decline as a positive development for the state's labour market and stressed the need for workplace health promotion.

The further decline in the sickness rate is a positive signal for the working world in our state. It is all the more important to sustainably strengthen employee health and anchor health topics in companies at an early stage.

Prevention focus after mental health surge

Schleswig-Holstein's DAK head, Cord-Eric Lubinski, welcomed the stable overall rate but highlighted the mental health trend as a continuing burden on companies. He called for an intensification of prevention and health promotion measures.

The stable sickness rate is good news for Schleswig-Holstein. At the same time, the increase in mental illnesses shows that the challenges for employees and companies remain considerable. That is why we must continue to strengthen prevention and health promotion.