Study Warns of Soaring Economic and Health Burden of Long COVID and ME/CFS in Germany
A recent study has revealed alarming figures regarding the economic and health impact of Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in Germany. The research, published in May 2025, estimates the annual costs of these conditions to be a staggering 63.1 billion euros for 2024.
The study, which uses a Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the number of people developing these conditions and their recovery probabilities, found that the disease burden continues to increase due to ongoing infections and low recovery rates. By the end of 2024, around 650,000 people were affected by ME/CFS, with an additional 870,000 people battling Long COVID.
The societal costs of ME/CFS alone in 2024 were calculated to be 30.9 billion euros, marking a significant increase of 10 billion euros compared to 2020. This is almost four times higher than previous estimates of ME/CFS-related economic damage, which were around 7.4 billion euros per year. The study used economic methods to calculate these costs, considering overall societal losses and different degrees of disability.
The report underscores the urgent need for better prevalence data and increased state investments in research, care, and education to address this growing challenge. It is the first study to consider Long COVID and ME/CFS together, as some Long-COVID patients may develop ME/CFS in the long term. The estimated number of ME/CFS cases in Germany between 2020 and 2024, based on the study by the ME/CFS Research Fund and RiskLayer, is not explicitly stated in the provided search results.
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