Historical chart and dataset showing India suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.

Historical chart and dataset showing Italy suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.

In 2024, Japan reported 16.4 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The country's suicide rate resumed its downward trend after an unexpected surge in recent years, likely connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. What are the reasons behind Japan’s high suicide rates?  While the majority of suicides in Japan stemmed from health reasons, existential concerns and problems directly related to work also accounted for thousands of self-inflicted deaths in the past years. One of the most profound issues faced by employees in Japan leading to self-harm is exhaustion. “Karoshi,” or death by overwork, is a well-known phenomenon in Japanese society. In addition to physical fatigue, karoshi may be precipitated by mental stress resulting from employment. Occupational stress or overwork-induced suicide is referred to as “karojisatsu (overwork suicide)” in Japan. Which demographic groups are affected? Although *************** are frequently depicted as the most at-risk demographic for suicide in Japan, the increasing occurrence of suicides among the elderly people and schoolchildren is causing concern. Bullying, isolation, and the lack of a proficient mental healthcare system can be additional factors contributing to the country’s high suicide rates among all age groups.

Historical chart and dataset showing Spain suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.

In 2023, South Korea's suicide rate reached **** deaths per 100,000 people, nearly double that of two decades ago. South Korea has the highest suicide rate among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).Mental health in South KoreaIn South Korea, mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, along with financial hardships, have been identified as significant contributing factors leading individuals to attempt suicide. According to a survey, nearly half of the respondents reported experiencing severe stress, making it the most commonly reported type of mental health problem that year. Additionally, suicide is increasingly recognized not only as an individual health problem in South Korea but also as a complex social issue that arises, among other factors, from the country's rapid economic development. Suicide prevention In response to the escalating suicide rates, the government introduced its first suicide prevention program in 2004. Since then, several measures have been implemented to address this pressing issue. For instance, Seoul City initiated the "Bridge of Life" project on the Mapo Bridge, a well-known site for suicide attempts. The primary goal of the project was to provide comfort to individuals contemplating suicide by projecting uplifting messages and images on the bridge. In 2021, however, it was decided to remove the messages and slogans due to their limited impact. If you are having suicidal thoughts or you know someone who is, it is essential to seek help. Many countries have suicide crisis or prevention lines that offer free advice and support in such situations. If you live in the United States, you can reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by simply calling *** to receive free and confidential support 24/7. If you live in South Korea, you can call the suicide prevention hotline ***.

Historical chart and dataset showing Russia suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.

This dataset contains counts of deaths for California counties based on information entered on death certificates. Final counts are derived from static data and include out-of-state deaths to California residents, whereas provisional counts are derived from incomplete and dynamic data. Provisional counts are based on the records available when the data was retrieved and may not represent all deaths that occurred during the time period. Deaths involving injuries from external or environmental forces, such as accidents, homicide and suicide, often require additional investigation that tends to delay certification of the cause and manner of death. This can result in significant under-reporting of these deaths in provisional data.

The final data tables include both deaths that occurred in each California county regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence) and deaths to residents of each California county (by residence), whereas the provisional data table only includes deaths that occurred in each county regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence). The data are reported as totals, as well as stratified by age, gender, race-ethnicity, and death place type. Deaths due to all causes (ALL) and selected underlying cause of death categories are provided. See temporal coverage for more information on which combinations are available for which years.

The cause of death categories are based solely on the underlying cause of death as coded by the International Classification of Diseases. The underlying cause of death is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "the disease or injury which initiated the train of events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury." It is a single value assigned to each death based on the details as entered on the death certificate. When more than one cause is listed, the order in which they are listed can affect which cause is coded as the underlying cause. This means that similar events could be coded with different underlying causes of death depending on variations in how they were entered. Consequently, while underlying cause of death provides a convenient comparison between cause of death categories, it may not capture the full impact of each cause of death as it does not always take into account all conditions contributing to the death.

Historical chart and dataset showing Nigeria suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.

Historical chart and dataset showing Uganda suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

Historical chart and dataset showing Singapore suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.

Historical chart and dataset showing Eswatini suicide rate by year from 2000 to 2021.