Sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea and syphilis surged to unprecedented levels across Europe in 2024, according to fresh data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The agency reported that both infections have reached their highest point in over a decade, with gonorrhoea cases rising to 106,331, representing a 303 per cent increase since 2015.
Syphilis cases also climbed sharply to 45,557 within the same period, more than doubling in ten years.
The ECDC attributed part of the rise to “widening gaps in testing and prevention” and called for urgent measures to curb further spread across the continent.
“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, head of the agency’s Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit.
He further warned that infections passed from mother to child were also increasing.
“Congenital syphilis cases have nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024,” he said.
Ciancio urged stronger prevention measures, stressing the importance of safer sexual behaviour and routine testing.
“Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward. Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms,” he said.
Spain recorded the highest burden among reporting countries, with 37,169 gonorrhoea cases and 11,556 syphilis cases in 2024.
The ECDC noted that men who have sex with men remain the most affected group, with sustained increases over time in both infections.
It also observed a rising number of syphilis cases among heterosexual women of reproductive age.
While chlamydia remains the most commonly reported bacterial STI, the agency said cases dropped slightly by six per cent compared with 2015, totalling 213,443.
The United Kingdom did not participate in the ECDC survey following Brexit, though national data still showed high infection levels.
The UK Health Security Agency recorded 71,802 gonorrhoea cases and 9,535 syphilis cases in England in 2024.
The UK later introduced a gonorrhoea vaccination programme in 2025 after record infections were reported the previous year.
Public health experts maintained that both infections can be prevented through condom use and vaccination where available, and treated effectively with antibiotics when detected early.
