Syphilis - Annual Epidemiological Report 2021

In 2021, 25 270 confirmed syphilis cases were reported in 28 EU/EEA countries, with a crude notification rate of 7.0 cases per 100 000 population. Syphilis notification rates were nine times higher in men than in women and were highest in men aged 25–34 years (30 cases per 100 000 population). The majority (77%) of syphilis cases with information on transmission category were reported in men who have sex with men (MSM). The trend in syphilis notifications among men continuously increased between 2012 and 2019, mainly because of an increase in the number of cases among MSM. After a decrease in notifications in 2020, the overall EU/EEA rate increased again in 2021 to a level similar to 2019. Over the same period, there were very small fluctuations in syphilis notifications among the heterosexual population at the EU/EEA level. Between 2015 and 2021, the number of syphilis notifications in HIV-negative MSM increased by 87% (in the eight countries that reported consistently).