The average for 2019 based on 41 countries was 12.93 suicides per 100,000 people. The highest value was in Lithuania: 26.1 suicides per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Turkey: 2.4 suicides per 100,000 people. The indicator is available from 2000 to 2019. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

South Korea currently has the highest overall suicide rate among OECD countries worldwide. The suicide rate among women in South Korea is significantly higher than that of women in any other country. Nevertheless, suicide is commonly more prevalent among men than women. Suicide in the U.S. The suicide rate in the United States has risen since the year 2000. As of 2021, there were around 14.1 deaths from suicide per 100,000 population. The suicide rate among men in the U.S. is over three times what it is for females, a considerable and troubling difference. The suicide rate among men increases with age, with the highest rates found among men aged 75 years and older. Adolescent suicide Adolescent suicide is always a serious and difficult topic. A recent survey found that around 30 percent of female high school students in the United States had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, compared to 14 percent of male students. On average, there are around 11 suicide deaths among adolescents per 100,000 population in the United States. The states with the highest rates of adolescent suicide include Idaho, Colorado, and Utah.

European Union suicide rate for 2019 was 11.34, a 3.52% decline from 2018.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>European Union suicide rate for 2018 was <strong>11.76</strong>, a <strong>1.95% decline</strong> from 2017.</li>
<li>European Union suicide rate for 2017 was <strong>11.99</strong>, a <strong>0.17% decline</strong> from 2016.</li>
<li>European Union suicide rate for 2016 was <strong>12.01</strong>, a <strong>4.95% decline</strong> from 2015.</li>
</ul>Suicide mortality rate is the number of suicide deaths in a year per 100,000 population. Crude suicide rate (not age-adjusted).

The countries with the highest suicide mortality rate worldwide in 2019 included Lesotho, Guyana, and Eswatini. Suicide rates of men are much higher than among women in many countries. Lithuania has one of the highest suicide rates for men as of 2019, while South Korea reports the highest suicide rate for women.

In the United States

Although the United States is not among the countries with the highest suicide mortality rate, suicide is still one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. As with other countries, the suicide rate among males in the U.S. is much higher than among females. The age group with the highest rate of suicide is those aged 45 to 64 years, followed by 25 to 44-year-olds. The states with the highest suicide rates are Wyoming, Alaska, and Montana.

Risk factors and help

Major risk factors for suicide include mental health issues and substance abuse problems; however, it can be difficult to predict who is at risk. Warning signs such as talking about wanting to die, expressing feelings of depression, suicidal ideation, and abusing drugs or alcohol should be taken seriously and help should be sought as soon as possible. Suicide hotlines exist in many countries around the world and one should not hesitate to discuss such issues and feelings with a health care provider.

In 2016, Belgium was in the top five European countries for its number of suicide casualties. That year, the country held the fifth position behind Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, and Hungary. From 2006 to 2020, the number of committed suicides was relatively stable, fluctuating between 1,700 to 2,000 per year. The number of deaths reached a peak in 2011 with 2.084 casualties.

Gender and regional differences

Globally, suicide rates are significantly higher in the male population. Belgium is no exception, from 2006 to 2016, more than double the amount of men committed suicide compared to women. A suicide paradox is often referred to when talking about gender differences. While women have generally more suicidal thoughts than men, men tend to commit suicide more frequently.

From a regional perspective, there were more casualties in the Flemish region than in the Walloon region in 2016. However, the region of Brussels registered the least casualties. That being said, the number of inhabitants of Belgium’s regions put these figures into perspective. In 2019, the Flemish region had more inhabitants than Wallonia and even more than the Brussels-Capital Region.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide in Europe

In Europe, Belgium is one of the fewer countries where euthanasia is legal under certain circumstances. Other European countries who practiced euthanasia in 2016 were Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Euthanasia differs from assisted suicide which is legal in Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. The main difference relies on who does the act, in the case of assisted suicide, it is the patient. Nonetheless, suicide hotlines and help websites are available for people in distress 24/7.

In 2017, there were over 7.3 thousand deaths by suicide in the European Union among men aged between 45 and 54 years, the highest of any demographic shown. Among all age groups, the number of suicides was higher among men compared to women.