Suicide rates of the world and why people kill themselves
According to WHO statistics, one person commits suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide rates all over the world have increased by 5- 62% in the last two decades. Hardly any country is immune to this disease. Whats disturbing is that more young people are killing themselves than ever before.
Which countries are the worst off where suicide is concerned? Given below is the suicide map of the world:
For analysis purposes, I have divided the countries into four groups, depending on their suicide rates. I have compared their suicide rates to their happiness index to see if there is a relationship. I am not an expert, just a layman who is intensely interested in the subject so do forgive me if I am wrong in my analysis. I have also taken the statistics to be true mostly (there may be problems in the research). I welcome any one of you to add their thoughts.
Group 1 (High suicide rate): Europe and major parts of Asia seem to have a high suicide rate. In fact Russia and other countries which were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union, like Lithuania (42 suicides per 100,000), Russia (38), Belarus (35) and Kazakhstan (28] and Ukraine (26) have high suicide rates. Now, all these countries are young countries. Hungary (27) has a long history of occupation by Soviet troops.
Why do so many people in these countries kill themselves?
Well, people commit suicide because they feel there is no other solution, no hope left. The reasons could either be financial or personal (relationship problem, low self-esteem etc,) or due to a mood disorder. In these countries however, economics has to play a major part as the economic life here has not stablized, these are new countries. The fact that in these countries 5-6 men commit suicide as compared to 1 woman (a very high ratio), proves that economic hopelessness is a major reason. Ofcourse, these are older statistics (2002-03), and now that these countries are part of the Europeon Union, life will improve and I think the suicide rates will fall.
Group 2 (a medium high suicide rate): Countries like Belgium (21), Finland (20) Switzerland (18), Austria (18] France (17.6), S. Korea (17.9) and Japan (23.8] too have a fairly high rate of suicide. It gets more complicated here. About 2-3 men here kill themselves as compared to 1 woman. As these are well-to-do countries, economics alone cannot play a part. It makes sense to think that is the personal and social aspect that causes people to kill themselves. Feelings of loneliness and depression for example. A family or personal crises. High levels of competition in society.
Japan, although an eastern nation, is similar to the west and the countries in its group when it comes to the proportion of men killing themselves as compared to women (many eastern societies have a higher proportion of women killing themselves). Now Japan is a male dominated society but still, this is so. From what I have heard, Japanese men do not abandon their women. But they are under high pressure to perform, both academically and economically. There is a high level of competition in Japanese society, right from childhood. This could be a major cause of depression if one doesn’t measure up.
S. Korea is similar to Japan when it comes to the number of men committing suicide as compared to women, and its probably for the same reasons - high competition in society. It is interesting to note that suicide rates in this country have increased to 24.7 from its earlier 17.9 per 100.000 people and this means that S. Korea should actually be in Group 1. Suicide rates in S. Korea have increased the fastest as compared to any other country, according to a report by OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. And its acknowledged that the causes for this dramatic increase is the high level of competition in Korean society. Suicide rate is around 17 per 100,000 just amongst its young people!
Group 3 (a medium suicide rate): Countries such as Denmark (13.6), Germany (13.5), China (13.9), Sweden (13.4), Australia (12.7), Canada (11.9), India (10.7), the US (11) and Singapore ( 9.5) fall somewhere in the middle where the suicide rate is concerned.
In Denmark, Germany and Sweden - about 2-3 men kill themselves as compared to one woman and this is similar to Group 2. But in countries like Australia, Canada and the US - about 3-4 men kill themselves as compared to 1 woman. Can’t seem to fathom the reason for the difference, but I feel it that more men committing suicide seems to point to financial reasons and a high level of economic competition in society. So though people in these countries are well off, there could be high pressures to perform.
China has a reverse ratio, the only country in the world where more women kill themselves than men! The rate for men is 13 (per 100,000) and that for women 14.8. Though these statistics are just for select areas (data for the whole of China is not available) it appears as if Chinese women are more miserable than their counterparts in other parts of the world. Ofcourse most societies, specially eastern societies, are male dominated, and this could be a reason for the higher rate of suicide by women. Abandonment, sexual violence, lack of growth opportunties, lack of access to health care are also reasons. In India and Singapore, the ratio is less than 2:1, with half the suicides being that of women.
Group 4 (Low suicide rate): Countries like Spain (8.2), Italy (7.1), UK (6.9), Israel (6.3), Argentina (6.4), Brazil (4.1), Thailand (4), Iran (2), Kuwait, (2) Egypt and Jordan (0) have a very low suicide rate.It appears as if the suicide rate is low or almost non existent in Muslim countries. Well, Islam forbids suicide, so it could explain the figures. But I think a zero rate of suicide is indeed odd. There are always mentally ill people in every population and a high proportion of depressed people and those who suffer from mood related disorders commit suicide. If Islam does not allow suicide it is likely that families could be hiding the actual facts.
Countries like Spain, Italy, UK, Israel, Argentina and Brazil do indeed seem happy countries if one goes by the suicide statistics. And where the difference between the men and women are concerned, here like the rest of the world, a lot more men commit suicide as compared to women (about 3-4 to 1) . In Thailand it is about 2-3 men to 1 woman.
Update: Just wanted to add that attempted suicide rates are usually 10-20 times higher than completed suicide rates. And more women attempt suicide than men.
Can one can safely assume that countries with the lowest suicide rates have the greatest number of happy people? Not really. Ofcourse, the dates of the suicide survey and the happiness survey differs by a few years, the happiness index was taken in 2006, the suicide survey a few years earlier. But I don’t think this makes that much of a difference. I think that the suicide rate has nothing to do with the general level of happiness. I will explain this.
Group 1 countries (highest suicide rates) do have the fewest number of happy people. Only 2 percent of Russians are happy, and no one from Belarus or Ukraine is happy. About 10 per cent of Lithunians are happy.
But countries from Group 2, which have a fairly high suicide rate, have a high percentage of happy people! Like Belgium (86 per cent), Finland (83), Switzerland (89), Austria (81), France (84) and Japan (72). What does this mean? I think it that it means that most people who commit suicide in these countries are those who buckle under socio-cultural and relationship problems…they are a small section of society. It is known that more than 80 per cent of those who commit suicide are those who suffer from mental illness, have an inability to cope. In other words, a certain section of the population that is prone to depression and mood disorders (always in a minority) falls prey to suicide.
About countries in Group 3 (medium suicide rate), only China and India seem to fit. About half of the Chinese are happy and about 40 per cent of Indians. On the other hand an overwhelming number of people from countries such as Denmark (91 per cent), Sweden (91), Australia (90), Canada (75) and the United States (84) are happy, belying the suicide rate.
Are more people happy in countries in Group 4, with its low suicide rates? Well, there was no data from the Muslim countries, but the majority of those in the other countries seem seem happy. Not a high number really - 68 percent of those in Spain, 64 per cent of those in Italy, and 59 percent of those in Brazil and Argentina. Obviously, these people may not consider themselves happy, but not many are depressed enough to feel like killing themselves. The U.K, which has a low suicide rate has a high number of happy people.
I’ll end with a quote from this Sciencedaily article which explains what makes people happy:
A nation’s level of happiness was most closely associated with health levels (correlation of .62), followed by wealth (.52), and then provision of education (.51). The three predictor variables of health, wealth and education were also very closely associated with each other, illustrating the interdependence of these factors…people in countries with good healthcare, a higher GDP per capita, and access to education were much more likely to report being happy…
Related Reading: Why Indians commit suicide
Some ways to help people cope with depression
The right time to see a psychiatrist
One reason for suicide - social rejection
Filed under: Life, Mental Illness, Research, Society, Trends, Women, World | Tagged: europe, Global studies, Happiness Index, suicide, Suicide rates
This is so sad. I had no idea suicide rates were so high. I know of one person who committed suicide, but I didn’t know him well. To think so many people have just lost total hope is very disturbing. Especially because some decide to kill other people before killing themselves.
Can’t give you any links, but in a sociology class I took we were told that actually women are far more likely than men to TRY and commit suicide, but men succeed more often. Women usually choose poison, cutting wrists, or other ’softer’ methods that don’t always work, or that work slowly, while men are more likely to use a gun or some other quick, violent method.
Several news reports on Chinese women and suicide also mentioned that because so many were in rural areas, the women had access to fast-poisoning pesticides, and limited access to medical facilities that could treat pesticide poisoning.
you are right vinegar, women do try to kill themselves more often than men. you are probably right abt chinese women as well.
however, to some extent, i feel that those who are determined to kill themselves - do. i am not a psychologist, and I guess one needs to properly delve into the psychology of people who try to kill themselves as opposed to those who finally do. it could be that women are emotional and make impulsive decisions and thus choose the wrong and ineffectual methods, or maybe they are crying out for help…its too complicated really. I have in fact tried to find out more about this but couldn’t find any authentic source.
Also its known that women due to their life in many countries can become isolated and thus depressed. So do failed attempts to suicide mean simply depression? Certainly more women are depressed than men…
but when it comes to actual suicide, its men who do it far more often than women.
I am doing my psycology term paper on suicide(instructer picked it) and I found this page to be very helpful and insiteful thanks to all!!! I want to find out more not only for my paper due in 4 weeks but because im am going in to the medical feild and i will most likely be encountered with attemts many times in my new job. I think it it very sad when know one thinks there is no where to turn there is so much help out there one can seek. A friend of mine lost her husband after 25 years and she is all alone there was a time when she to wantes to kill her self. Thanks again!!
you made a relly big effert in finding that, the muslim countries have low or no suicide rate at all. you concluded that because islam forbids them from comitting suicide that they hide the figure. But the truth is i m a muslim living in the united states and i have heard of muslims commiting suicide or trying to in saudi arabia, but the number is really small that it cant even be heard of. But the truth why muslims dont committe is something that only muslims know. And the truth is we dont need to.we believe that god created us to worship him only. All the things that make people committe suicide are forbidin in our religon for example drinking and using drugs. other things like loneliness are not a problem because we are always conected to god 24/7, by praying 5 times a day. and saying little prayers in everything that we do from eating to driving.
thank you
there would be no suicides if there were no bullys like goverments letting trashy drug dealers ply there trade
time for action and get rid of this cancer in our society
regards bill
Bill, it’s sad isn’t it that today’s modern life has brought with it’s own evils? In days of yore it was war and disease that we had to be careful of, but in today’s world it’s suicide and psychosis that we have to battle. Drugs, stress…all of it is contributing.
Suicide comes from in certian perspectives either as a defining moment where the citizen decided either through self conclusion and or social conditions that the ’state’ or society if you will has not fullfilled its supposed end of responsibilities on social, economic and political ends of its ‘contract’ or ’social contract’ with the person in question as put forward by early sociology founders of that science, and therefore the only choice left where one can not leave the ’state’ is to end ones own life.
One can look at murder rates versis other death counting systems and there are always disparities between them. What truly defines a suicide versis natural, which is all subjective and conditioned by inherit social norms of the region.
The Bottom line is we all die. Some as defined by social control, and own mental afflictions ‘make a choice’. about when and how. Somehow someway some people view it as the period at the end of their last sentence.
I read somewhere i think SCI AM.. whichit put best… Its “a really bad choice on a really bad day.”
In my opinion Suicide Bombers are in the same catagory though some groups try to separate them.
They can argue that all day long. But bottom line is the above statement still applies, … it’s a really bad choice on a really bad day.
I wish i could have said the right words or done the right thing(s) to convince someone very dear to me that they would be and are missed by myself and others and things weren’t that bad or that they ever stay that way.
That day still sends chills down my spine and the horror can’t get any more personal.
“wish you were here”
E
it maybe odd that muslims have the lowest rate of suicide or itmaybe mean its a sign that islam is the truth whatever it is or even sheer coincidence at the end of the day if it can stop people from committing suicide its got to be good hey maybee the whole world should revert back to islam and this blog wouldnt exist and mental illness and suicide cn be cured thats my 2cents worth on the matter
hektiksoldier….u are funny saying we kafirs need to become muslims….. i wont become one even if u give me a billion dollars….
and I find your statement offensive.
@raju :
I too was offended by the comment but remember a comment reveals the commentator. it reveals his bigotry!
Nita: On that comment, I cannot help but advance two possible hypotheses (a light hearted note, not that I expect that to be perceived by every reader with a sense of humour bypass):
1. People following Islam are so un-free that they cannot even take their own lives
2. They are suicided-out after all the terror attacks
As I said, light hearted note. If I were writing for Jay Leno, these would make the show!
@Shefaly:
Jay Leno would become the target of fundamentalists.
On a more serious note, I would say that terrorists have conveniently twisted Islam to to bypass the rules of their religion and still find salvation!
u guys are funny man i was being sarcastic wat relgion u decide to follow is ur perogative an at ur discretion In no way did I try offend any of you internet loserz at all wat i was pointing out that maybee all ur negative images and beliefs of islam can start to kerb an u might realise somethin good might come out of the religion people kill them selves becuase they hate there lives now if muslims hate there lives which is based around there religion Im sure they would do the same and saying that they dont even have the right to take there own lives is nonsense we all know its not hard to find a peice of rope and do a loop come on man I thought more of you guys obviously I am speaking to a bunch of idiots if you decide to reply make sure its worthwhile me replying and as for the comment where muslims have no choices in there lives lol thats ridiculous it is us westerners who have no choice think about it a muslim is willing to take there own life n the cause of there religon and there country wat the fuk are u willing to do 4 america lol thought so man u probably wouldnt give way on the road to a kid crossing lmao by the way i do have a choice in wat i do an say thats why i drive a car probably worth more than ur houses we are the ones who live by rules go over to the middle east and see how people live they are in war and living happy smiling and getting on with life here in the states u cant do shit without rules and you say we live in freedom what is your definition of freedom this question is to everyone on here hey can b the new topic “define freedom”
i am doing a research on teen suicide………….does anyone no were i can find a graph that shows the increase of how many more teens are ding than before?
Freedom for me angry boy (hektiksoldier) is to be able to take your own life if you want, without taking some one else with you that is
hektiksoldier; that was deep and agree with you totaly. New topic should be “define freedom”.
Respekt & Peace.
>>Well, people commit suicide because they feel there is no other solution, no hope left.>>
I don’t think so. One female doctor committed suicide in Tirupati because she had doubt that her husband was maintaining illegal relationships with other women. If her husband really had illegal affairs, she can desert him and live independent life. Why should she end life for her idiotic husband? She had alternative other than tolerating and committing suicide. Tolerating illegal affairs of life partners or ending life for such affairs is really foolish.
@Proletarian Revolutionary:
You may think it’s foolish, she didn’t. Everyone is different.
I don’t think that these statistics on suicide rates are true. All suicide cases are not complained or registered in police stations. Some people spend much for gambling, drinking, prostitution and other addictions. After losing much of money, they become desperate and lose hope on life and commit suicides. In such cases, family members do not complain to police because no other person is responsible for the suicide and the suicide is totally the fault of the dead person. Suicide statistics that are counted according to cases registered in police stations cannot be 100% reliable.
@Proletarian Revolutionary:
you are correct ofcourse and this is specially so in countries where suicide is socially frowned upon.
mukhtar mubarez, I think that this is an interesting thought, that people who are connected to God are less likely to committ suicide. Those people who are connected to a high presence may feel less lonliness (like you said) and typically religions affirm a great purpose for each individual—which, in general–takes weight of one to define and invidivual purpose.
Meditation, in general, also helps calm the mind.
It would be interesting to see the suicide rate of women in india against men. I think that would explain the cause of suicides in our country.
ravi, i have mentioned it in the post, about half as many women kill themselves as compared to men. however the causes as to why women kill themselves and men kill themselves are very different. women tend to kill themselves more for domestic reasons and men for more worldly reasons. but this is a gross generalisation ofcourse, considering that mental illness, underreporting etc are factors as well.
[...] phenomenon or a worldwide “psychological epidemic”. My search took me first to Japan which has the highest suicide rate in the world. I found the article Japan Internet Suicide Clubs. It appears that “Suicide Cults” in [...]
Have you concidered the fact that societies all across the world have become increasingly individualistic in your explination of why suicide rates are so high and still climbing? Suicide rates were not even thought of just a handful of generations ago when everything was done together and you actually had to rely on other people to get things accomplished. What people ultimately desire and require is that community with other people our grandparents had. This kind of community is not just a group of friends that has a get-together every other weekend or something, but rather intimate relationships with a few others who will be there to walk with them through life’s ups and downs. Being open and vulnerable is scary but necessary despite what the culture of today is telling us.
[...] http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/05/11/suicide-rates-of-the-world/ [...]
Hi Nita
Happend upon your blog when looking for suicide rates world wide after reading an article about increased suicide rates in the past month in Japan with people killing themselves with poisonous fumes and endangering in the process the life of others who don’t wish to join them in the afterworld at all.
Your article was very good, very informative. My compliments. I read a few of the comments which gave additional information and well, personal comments that from a scientific point of view were not helpfull at all.
I decided to give you two or three points that in case you should be interested further in the subject, you may want to look into.
A) Suicide and Muslim countries - aside from looking at the issue of the influence of religion, one has to look at three additional factors -
1) Sometimes people who have sicknesses, or are hopeless, let themselves be recruited as suicide bombers. So while they commit suicide all right, because they kill other people along, they are not classified as people who commit suicide, but I met a few years ago someone from a univeristy who made a research on the personality of people who were suicide bombers and that person discovered that for instance in some cases they were already suffering from sicknesses that couldn’t be healed, or that they were outsiders in their communities and by becoming a “martyr” they could not only be accepted, finish their suffering, but also ensure the acceptance and income of their families for the future.
2) Families usually are big and the social network funtions, so the issue of absolute loneliness and desperation is rather slim
3) War Zones - when you live in a place where you risk to get killed at any time by your oponents, why kill yourself, chances are, someone else will do the job for you sooner or later anyway.
4) Poverty - too busy to try to ensure your survival. People are exhausted after all they have to do to get food on their table. They collapse to rest. No time for your head to fill it with thoughts of dying really, as you are too busy to try to live (or as they say ” Too rich to die and too poor to live”
B) Israel - The reasons for the low suicide rate here are basically the same as in Muslim countries:
1) Jewish religion explicitely forbids taking your own life. In addition, it tells very explicetly that your job is to make the best of this life down on earth here. Saving life has a very high place in Jewish religion. It is for instance the only valuable reason to break the strict rules of observing the Shabbat.
2) War Zone point stated above
3) Family ties and social networks (added by a society in which everyone is entitled to put his/her nose in other people’s business - you’d wish sometimes they would leave you alone for what ever)
4) The Holocaust point - Jewish people lost 6 million of their own to the Nazis. So every human being is counted as a precious gift. Taking your life, lets say, would mean that you are actually spitting in the face of someone who tried and didn’t make it through a concentration camp. Can’t do such a thing. Unless you suffer really from mental sickness.
C) South America:
1) Political and economic instability: people are poor and rich in very quick succession, as such, not that much important is taken at economic success as a measurement of one’s personal value. You are NOT what you earn, you are WHO and HOW you are. Social ties are not explicit dependent on your riches. You do have other circles in which you move, yes, but your friends don’t drop you if you loose your work.
2) Pride - culturally you are taught from small to take what ever shit (sorry for the language) life hands out to you and try to make the best of it. Life is seeing as a challange, so you have to surmount the challanges and deal with them. Giving up is not really considered a valuable option. You also don’t expect - like in Europe - that the State solves your problems, as you already know the State is bad. You have to solve them yourselves. But this is very good against depression.
As my mother, who was born there said “when you work hard, you don’t have time to think of bullshit”. My father on the other side had this theory about weather. He said that he found out that where it is cold, people look miserable, even if they had a much better lot in life. Where the sun shone, people were much happier, no matter that they really didn’t have much to go by”. Indeed, it was medically proven that the sun light is needed to dissolve depression. Take a look that the southern hemisphere in your map is much better out in terms of suicide numbers, then the northern one.
D) Africa:
While no numbers are available there, my guess would be that they have the following points going for them
1) Hard work to ensure survival
2) Wars
3) Dangerous sicknesses and miserable health systems killing people off without them much having to try to kill themselves if they really want.
4) Better social networks as they are those that help people to survive in dire circumstances.
Indeed, while the idea of looking into the Happiness rate connected to the suicide rate, the fact is, it isn’t the riches that make people being better off, it is other human connections combined with enough challanges to keep you entertained for the rest of your life.
I think that this is the main reason why teenage suicide is so rampant in the world. Young kids already get everything from their parents, so what do they have to work, build and live for in their own lives? That causes desperation. I mean, would you want to look ahead at a life of constant TV programs and MP3, 4, and computer games where you talk to people only via chat rooms, and on mobile phones, even if they live just next door?
I think Chase has pointed out a major key factor here.
One that to be honest, could be the true root to suicide.
We by our very natures are social beings, but in todays world we have never been more connected and yet disconnected from each other.
Take this blog for example. Anyone can stumble apon it like I just did….but there is no human connectivity wich explains the responses that are very angry and could be taken as a hostile attack apon others.
I for one would gladly trade anything to have a community that my grandparents/great - grandparents had.
Jim, in India we have these communities. We have strong bonds not just with relatives, but also friends and neighbours. It means giving up a lot of our privacy and one’s time but here we don’t think of it as an intrusion of privacy or giving up time. China and other eastern societies are similar. And the reasons for suicide in these countries is different.
Also talking of the blog we have a great community here but this is an old post and no one from the community on this blog comes here anymore…only those from search engines do. Also I find it very difficult to respond to comments on older posts as it is very exhausting due to a constant stream of comments. I do it rarely.
You are welcome to join our community. Comments on recent posts is what can get you responses and connectivity. Also as people become familiar with your name, they will start talking to you. Building up relationships takes time.
Thanks for visiting Jim and I hope you drop in again.
i never tried to kill myself i only cute but now i dont i only did that to get ride of the pain of everyone one was doin to me but i am over it and hopeing that i will never do that again
Folks, get a grip. Nothing has to make sense when you only think of yourself. You may find ways to use religion, or money, or social pressures to reason out suicide statistics, but as long as people are dedicated to self, the tolls will never go down.
As for Muslims, those who say they are better off in nearly any stats have forgotten serious inplications of being one. I mean, what good is it to say that your religion somehow has less suicide when the whole sees atrocities committed daily by Muslims suicide attacks. Good grief. Once again, self becomes the monster. Honestly M’s there’s other things to think about.
As for the US of A and similar societies, the reason every man that I know of who has committed suicide, save one, did it because of the home situation. I see this often. Marriage has become a lie and the courts aid and abet the spouse who more often than not gets the kids even if she is the source of all the problems. The house, maybe the car, lots of the income, then the kids too. Heck, I have known many to consider it and three who actually killed themselves because their whole reason for living was ripped away by the courts relying on false witness etc. Don’t believe it? Research divorced men statistics.
I don’t care