Aitmatov suffered kidney failure, and on 16 May 2008 was admitted to a hospital in Nuremberg, Germany, where he died of pneumonia on 10 June 2008 at the age of 79.
Ajtmatov je pretrpio zatajenje bubrega, 16. svibnja 2008. te je primljen u bolnicu u Nürnbergu, u Njemačkoj, gdje je umro od upale pluća 10. lipnja 2008 u dobi od 79 godina.