The ICD is used worldwide to code diagnoses and health related problems. As the German WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications, the BfArM is also involved in the maintenance and further development of the ICD and other WHO classifications. In parallel to the further maintenance of ICD-10, international development work has been underway since 2007 on a fundamental 11th revision (ICD-11). Before the merger with BfArM, DIMDI was already intensively involved in this work.

Please note:

ICD-11 was adopted by WHA72 in May 2019 and became effective on January 01, 2022. Since then, WHO member states can report their mortality data ICD-11 coded to WHO. Only after a flexible transition period of at least 5 years, reporting will be ICD-11 coded only. A specific date for introducing ICD-11 in Germany for mortality coding has not yet been determined.

The introduction of ICD-11 in Germany for morbidity coding will take several years due to the high integration of ICD in the German health care system and the associated complexity and may exceed the flexible transition period envisaged for mortality coding.

For both mortality and morbidity coding ICD-10 will remain the valid official classification for Germany, until ICD-11 is introduced in the respective area of application- ICD-10-WHO for mortality and ICD-10-GM for morbidity coding.

In order to prepare for the introduction of ICD-11, the BfArM prepared a German translation in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, among others. The currently published first version of the German translation is for viewing by the interested public only. This version is already undergoing a quality assurance process in cooperation with the scientific medical societies , which will take some time to complete.

ICD-11 in German – Draft version

The WHO portal to ICD-11 provides further information and tools.

ICD-11 Portal at WHO

For further information, please contact our Helpdesk Code systems:

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