Syphilis infections are spreading rapidly worldwide, even in developed nations such as the United States, Japan, and European countries. In the U.S., the annual number of syphilis cases surpassed 200,000 in 2022 for the first time in approximately 70 years. Similarly, in Japan, the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 10,000 annually since 2022, continuously setting record highs and earning the country the infamous label of a new syphilis hotspot. Meanwhile, syphilis cases in Europe have also been steadily increasing.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Tuesday, the number of new syphilis infections in the U.S. reached 209,253 in 2023, equating to 61.3 cases per 100,000 people. This figure is nearly double the approximately 115,000 cases recorded in 2018. In 2022, the U.S. also reported 207,255 annual syphilis infections, marking the first time since 1950 that new infections exceeded 200,000 in a single year. Additionally, the number of newborns born with congenital syphilis surpassed 3,700 in 2022, reflecting an almost elevenfold increase over the past decade. Syphilis infection rates were exceptionally high among Black Americans. As of 2022, Black individuals made up 13% of the U.S. population and 14% of newborns but accounted for 32% of all syphilis cases.
Japan is facing its own syphilis crisis. The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and the Mainichi Shimbun report that new infections reached 14,663 in 2024, nearly matching 2023’s record high of 14,906. Syphilis infections in Japan have been on the rise since 2011, and since 2022, the country has consistently reported over 10,000 cases annually.
By region, infections have been spreading primarily in major cities. In 2024 alone, Tokyo reported 3,703 cases, Osaka 1,906, and Fukuoka 880. Asahi Shimbun described the outbreak as “a level of syphilis spread that occurs once in 50 years.”
Europe has also experienced a steady rise in syphilis cases. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 41,051 syphilis cases were reported in 29 European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries in 2023. This is a 13% increase from 2022 and a twofold increase compared to 2014.