Worldwide Decline in Suicides - Especially in Wealthy Countries

The data was analyzed by an international research consortium led by Soeun Kim and Selin Woo from the Kyung Hee University College of Medicine in Seoul (South Korea). The values for countries on five continents were formed based on the World Health Organization (WHO) database. In the 102 countries, the suicide rate decreased on average by 29.9 percent from 10.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 1990 to 7.2 in 2021. The team cites reasons for the decline in suicide rates in Europe, such as the promotion of responsible media reporting and the strengthening of social-emotional skills in adolescents.

Differently Weighted Data Show the Same Positive Effect

Holger Leerhoff from the Office for Statistics Berlin-Brandenburg points out to the German Science Media Center (SMC) among other things, improved access to psychiatric and psychosocial care, the destigmatization of mental illnesses, and prevention programs. These factors have shown positive effects in many regions, said Leerhoff, who was not involved in the study.

The significant decrease in suicide rates over the decades in this country is also documented in the report on "Suicide and Suicide Prevention in Austria" for the year 2024 - however, the numbers differ somewhat compared to the study now published in the journal. The reason is that the team used comparative data that took into account that suicides vary in frequency depending on age and that age distributions differ in various countries. According to the authors, these "age-standardized values" allow for international comparison.

Initially Higher Suicide Rate in Wealthy Countries

According to the 2024 report, Austria's suicide rate reached its peak after the end of World War II in 1986 with 32.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants - before the period covered by the new study began. Subsequently, a decrease was registered in this country, which was somewhat slowed by the financial crisis in 2008 and experienced a slight uptick in the opposite direction in the pandemic year 2022. Since then, the suicide rate has been decreasing again and was 14 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, with the rate for men at 973 suicides being more than four times higher than for women (239). In the South Korean comparative study, Austria started with around 20 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 1990 above the European average (16.6), but the rates subsequently aligned.

54 countries in the analysis are considered high-income, including Austria. In this group of countries, there was a relatively high suicide rate of 12.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the comparison period, but it decreased significantly over time. In the Corona year 2021, only 8.6 cases were registered - 32.1 percent less. In countries with low to middle income, the rate decreased from 7.9 to 5.7 in the same period. This is a decrease of 27.3 percent. However, there can be different definitions of suicide in the countries, which could distort the statistics, the researchers explain.

The same applies to the societal attitude towards reporting them. Stigmatization, religious prohibitions, and criminalization could lead to underreporting, especially in countries with relatively low to middle incomes, according to the study. At the same time, however, suicide rates are rising in these countries with increasing levels of development. The researchers point to analyses suggesting that this is partly due to rapid urbanization.

Forecast Until 2050

The research team ventured a forecast of the future suicide rate for the 102 countries studied: According to the calculations, this could continue to slowly decrease to up to 6.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants by the year 2050. However, the scientists highlight in their study that there could still be more suicide deaths in certain countries and within certain groups. "These results therefore suggest that more effective strategies and measures to reduce suicide mortality are necessary" - as a collective global effort.

Statistician Leerhoff assesses the evaluation as "solid" and the forecasting methodology as recognized. "However, such long-term forecasts naturally involve uncertainties, as they cannot include unpredictable developments such as economic crises, pandemics, or social upheavals," he cautioned.

Seek Professional Help

The now established long-term positive development should not obscure the fact "that the numbers are still too high," Lasse Sander from the University of Freiburg is quoted by the SMC. More than 700,000 people worldwide die by suicide each year. The vast majority of suicide attempts occur in the context of temporary or treatable crisis situations. "If you are suffering from suicidal thoughts, professional help is available," emphasized Sander. If you are concerned about someone in this regard, "it is helpful to specifically address possible suicidal thoughts with this person and support them in seeking professional help," the researcher said.

Are you in a desperate life situation and need help? Talk to other people about it. The suicide prevention portal of the Ministry of Health offers support for people with suicidal thoughts and their relatives. At www.suizid-praevention.gv.at, you can find contact details of support facilities in Austria.

(APA/Red.)

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