List of countries by suicide rate

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The following are lists of countries by estimated suicide rates as published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other sources.

In many countries, suicide rates are underreported due to social stigma, cultural or legal concerns. Thus, these figures cannot be used to compare real suicide rates, which are unknown in most countries.

The global total of suicide deaths decreased from an estimated 762,000 in 2000 to 717,000 in 2021, which is 9.1 deaths per 100,000 population. In high-income countries, male and female rates of suicidal behaviors differ compared to the rest of the world: while women are reportedly more prone to suicidal thoughts, rates of suicide are higher among men, which has been described as a "silent epidemic".

In 2021, the global rate of suicide deaths for men was 12.3 per 100,000, more than double the rate for women, which stood at 5.9 per 100,000 population. However, the sex disparity was uneven across regions, with a male-to-female ratio ranging from as low as 1.4 in the Southeast Asia Region to nearly 4.0 in the Region of the Americas.

In much of the world, suicide is stigmatized and condemned for religious or cultural reasons. In some countries, suicidal behavior is a criminal offense punishable by law. Suicide is therefore often a secretive act surrounded by taboo, and may be unrecognized, misclassified, or deliberately hidden in official records of death.

— World Health Organization (2002)

As such, suicide rates may be higher than measured, with men more at risk of dying by suicide than women across nearly all cultures and backgrounds. Suicide prevention and intervention is an important topic for all peoples, according to the WHO.

Countries and territories by suicide rate

Background

Suicide rates vary by country but occurs in all regions of the world. In a 2024 WHO report, 73% of reported suicides were in low and middle-income countries. Mental illness and suicide are linked, though many suicides are impulsive and occur due to crisis. Groups subject to discrimination, including refugees, indigenous populations, and LGBTQ people, experience high suicide rates. Societal and cultural taboos around the discussion of topics of suicide and lack of quality suicide data are impeding factors in suicide prevention. Suicide prevention includes such measures as restricting access to methods, responsible media reporting, and treatment and assessment of suicidal people.

Estimated suicide mortality rates by gender and country, age-standardized, per 100K population, World Health Organization Reflects most recent data
Country Region 2024
All Male Female M/F
 World 9.2 12.4 5.9 2.1
 Lesotho Africa 28.7 41.4 16.6 2.5
 Guyana Americas 24.8 39.9 10.4 3.8
 Eswatini Africa 27.2 45 10.1 4.5
 Kiribati Oceania 17.5 31 4.8 6.5
 Micronesia Oceania 19.8 31.1 8.6 3.6
 Suriname Americas 22.3 30.5 14 2.2
 Zimbabwe Africa 17.3 23.6 11.7 2.0
 South Africa Africa 22.3 35.4 9.9 3.6
 Mozambique Africa 10.6 15.6 6 2.6
 Central African Republic Africa 9.2 14.7 4 3.7
 Russia Europe 21.4 36.7 8.1 4.5
 South Korea Asia 27.5 38.2 16.9 2.3
 Vanuatu Oceania 15.7 24.7 6.6 3.7
 Botswana Africa 8.4 11.2 5.5 2.0
 Lithuania Europe 22.1 36.7 9.2 4.0
 Uruguay Americas 24.8 39.9 10.5 3.8
 Kazakhstan Asia 14.6 24.4 5.3 4.6
 Mongolia Asia 18.5 32.2 4.8 6.7
 Ukraine Europe 21.2 37.7 6.9 5.4
 Solomon Islands Oceania 19.6 29.2 9.6 3.0
 Eritrea Africa 13.2 19.4 7.2 2.7
 Belarus Europe 15.6 27.7 5.1 5.4
 Montenegro Europe 11.3 17.1 6 2.9
 Latvia Europe 15.2 27.5 4.6 6.0
 Cameroon Africa 8.5 13.5 3.5 3.9
 Ivory Coast Africa 7.4 12 2.6 4.6
 Cape Verde Africa 14.9 25.3 4.2 6.0
 Togo Africa 9.3 14.6 4 3.7
 Somalia Africa 8 9.8 6.1 1.6
 Samoa Oceania 12 17 7 2.4
 United States Americas 15.6 24.7 6.5 3.8
 Zambia Africa 7.1 11.2 3.1 3.6
 Burkina Faso Africa 8.5 13 4 3.3
 Slovenia Europe 18.9 29.9 7.7 3.9
 Belgium Europe 18.4 26.2 10.7 2.4
 Namibia Africa 8.6 13.9 3.6 3.9
 Equatorial Guinea Africa 7 10.2 3.5 2.9
 Finland Europe 14.6 20.5 8.8 2.3
 Chad Africa 5.3 7.4 3 2.5
 Gabon Africa 7.3 12 2.4 5.0
 India Asia 12.6 13.8 11.2 1.2
 Sri Lanka Asia 14.7 24.2 5.9 4.1
 Benin Africa 7.1 11.1 3.1 3.6
 Angola Africa 8.1 12.5 3.9 3.2
 DR Congo Africa 8.8 13.7 3.9 3.5
 Guinea-Bissau Africa 7.7 11.6 3.9 3.0
 Sweden Europe 13.8 18.9 8.7 2.2
 Guinea Africa 4.8 18.9 3.5 5.4
 Japan Asia 17.4 23.6 11.5 2
 Moldova Europe 14.1 24.8 5 5.0
 Burundi Africa 7.7 11.5 3.9 2.9
 Estonia Europe 14.9 25.1 5.8 4.3
 Djibouti Africa 8 9.6 6.4 1.5
 Hungary Europe 16.5 26.2 7.5 3.5
 Congo Africa 6.7 10.1 3.3 3.1
 Sierra Leone Africa 6.1 7.8 4.5 1.7
 Australia Oceania 13.1 19.5 6.7 2.9
 Haiti Americas 7.8 10.6 5.1 2.1
 Iceland Europe 11.9 14.4 9.3 1.5
 Kenya Africa 4.6 6.7 2.5 2.7
 Croatia Europe 15.7 25.1 6.9 3.6
 Senegal Africa 6.8 10.4 3 3.5
 Malawi Africa 7.6 12.5 2.9 4.3
 Ghana Africa 5.3 8.3 2.3 3.6
 Uganda Africa 5.5 8.8 2.3 3.8
 Austria Europe 14.5 23.6 5.7 4.1
 Canada Americas 9.4 14.2 4.7 3.0
 New Zealand Oceania 11.9 17.9 6.1 2.9
 Cuba Americas 13.8 23.5 4.3 5.5
 Niger Africa 4.5 5.9 3 2.0
 Norway Europe 13.2 18.9 7.4 2.6
 Switzerland Europe 14 18.9 9.2 2.1
 Nepal Asia 10.1 13.3 7.2 1.8
 Pakistan Asia 5.6 8 3.2 2.5
 France Europe 16.6 24.1 9.5 2.5
 Singapore Asia 8.1 11.1 4.9 2.3
 Gambia Africa 4.8 6.5 3.1 2.1
 Fiji Oceania 8.3 11.2 5.3 2.1
 Czech Republic Europe 13.3 21.2 5.7 3.7
 Ethiopia Africa 6.1 9.1 3.1 2.9
 Rwanda Africa 8.7 12.8 4.8 2.7
 Slovakia Europe 9.9 17.1 3 5.7
 Poland Europe 13.7 24.1 3.8 6.3
 Netherlands Europe 11.5 15.4 7.6 2.0
 Madagascar Africa 6.1 8.7 3.5 2.5
 Ireland Europe 8.5 12.6 4.6 2.7
 Brazil Americas 33 11.4 3.9 2.9
 Mauritius Africa 10.5 18 3 6.0
 Luxembourg Europe 8.2 12.1 4.3 2.8
 Comoros Africa 6 7.5 4.5 1.7
 Kyrgyzstan Asia 6.8 10.5 3.1 3.4
 Trinidad and Tobago Americas 13.3 22.2 4.6 4.8
 Uzbekistan Asia 8.3 10.6 6.1 1.7
 Germany Europe 12.9 18.4 7.6 2.4
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Europe 9 13.7 4.7 2.9
 North Korea Asia 9.3 10.5 8.1 1.3
 Tanzania Africa 5.1 7.5 2.7 2.8
 Argentina Americas 7.9 12.6 3.4 3.7
 Chile Americas 7.7 12.3 3.1 4.0
 Mali Africa 4.2 5.5 2.8 2.0
 Thailand Asia 16.6 28.2 5.5 5.1
 Serbia Europe 15.1 23 8 2.9
 Seychelles Africa 4.3 6.3 1.7 3.7
 Ecuador Americas 7.6 12.5 2.6 4.8
 Belize Americas 4.2 6.8 1.5 4.5
 Georgia Europe 5.1 9.5 1.3 7.3
 Denmark Europe 10.5 14.7 6.3 2.3
 Costa Rica Americas 8.1 13.5 2.8 4.8
 Liberia Africa 6 8 3.9 2.1
 Romania Europe 9.6 16.4 3.3 5.0
 Morocco Africa 2.9 3.4 2.4 1.4
 Portugal Europe 11.5 17.7 5.9 3.0
 Vietnam Asia 7.3 10.4 4.3 2.4
 Bahrain Asia 4.7 6.6 1.5 4.4
 North Macedonia Europe 5.8 7.9 3.8 2.1
 Yemen Asia 4.2 5.6 2.8 2.0
 United Kingdom Europe 9.5 14.7 4.6 3.2
 Nigeria Africa 5 8.4 1.5 5.6
 Saint Lucia Americas 5.3 9.3 1.3 7.2
 Bolivia Americas 4.2 6 2.4 2.5
 South Sudan Africa 7.9 12.1 3.9 3.1
 China Asia 8.9 10.3 7.5 1.4
 Bulgaria Europe 9.5 15.2 4.2 3.6
 Guatemala Americas 4.9 7.1 2.8 2.5
 Paraguay Americas 6.4 8 4.7 1.7
 El Salvador Americas 7.6 12.6 3.2 3.9
 Turkmenistan Asia 6.8 10.3 3.5 2.9
 Laos Asia 4.6 6.5 2.6 2.5
 Afghanistan Asia 3.6 4.8 2.4 2.0
 Malaysia Asia 5.7 8.8 2.2 4.0
 Cambodia Asia 4.5 6.3 2.7 2.3
 Mauritania Africa 2.7 3.7 1.7 2.2
 Saudi Arabia Asia 0.9 1.1 0.7 1.6
 Malta Europe 6.5 8.4 4.4 1.9
 Tajikistan Asia 2.4 3.6 1.3 2.8
 Mexico Americas 7 11.6 2.6 4.5
 Spain Europe 8.7 13.1 4.5 2.9
 United Arab Emirates Asia 1.7 2.5 0.4 6.3
 Israel Asia 4.4 6.3 2.4 2.6
 Iran Asia 4.1 5.8 2.3 2.5
 Dominican Republic Americas 4.2 6.9 1.5 4.6
 Bhutan Asia 4.9 6.2 2.4 2.6
 Sudan Africa 3.2 3.9 2.4 1.6
 Iraq Asia 3 4.4 1.5 2.9
 Nicaragua Americas 4.2 6.9 1.7 4.1
 Qatar Asia 4.7 6.2 0.8 7.8
 Timor-Leste Asia 3.6 4.8 2.3 2.1
 Libya Africa 5 7.2 2.7 2.7
 Oman Asia 0.9 1.4 0.2 7.0
 Tonga Oceania 4.7 6 3.5 1.7
 Italy Europe 7 10.5 3.6 2.9
 Azerbaijan Europe 1.6 2.3 0.8 2.9
 Bangladesh Asia 2.8 3.6 2 1.8
 Colombia Americas 5 7.9 2.1 3.8
 Albania Europe 2.8 3.2 2.3 1.4
 Greece Europe 4.7 7.9 1.6 4.9
 Papua New Guinea Oceania 1.8 2.2 1.4 1.6
 Egypt Africa 0.6 0.9 0.3 3.0
 Bahamas Americas 3.3 5.9 0.8 7.4
 Cyprus Europe 3 3.8 2.2 1.7
 Tunisia Africa 1.8 2.5 1.2 2.1
 Myanmar Asia 2.9 4.8 1 4.8
 Panama Americas 3.3 5.6 1 5.6
 Lebanon Asia 0.7 0.9 0.6 1.5
 Maldives Asia 1.5 2.2 0.3 7.3
 Peru Americas 1.5 2.3 0.8 2.9
 Armenia Europe 2.5 4.2 1 4.2
 Kuwait Asia 2.3 3.6 0.3 12.0
 Algeria Africa 2.2 3 1.3 2.3
 Honduras Americas 3 5 0.9 5.6
 Indonesia Asia 1.2 1.5 0.9 1.7
 Brunei Asia 3 5.2 0.6 8.7
 Philippines Asia 3.5 5.2 1.8 2.9
 Turkey Europe 2.7 4.3 1.1 3.9
 Jamaica Americas 1.7 3 0.4 7.5
 São Tomé and Príncipe Africa 0.9 1.3 0.4 3.3
 Syria Asia 0.6 0.9 0.3 3.3
 Venezuela Americas 8.6 15.4 2 7.7
 Jordan Asia 0.6 0.9 0.3 3.0
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Americas 0.4 0.8 0 -
 Grenada Americas 1.3 1.9 0.7 2.7
 Barbados Americas 3.5 6.3 1 6.3
 Antigua and Barbuda Americas 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.2

Analysis

Deaths per million persons from self-inflicted injuries in 2012. Countries by income group.
Suicide rates by income group in 2012 (per 100,000 people)
Income group (% of global pop) Suicides, 2012
(in thousands)		 Global % Rate
(2012)		 Male:Female
(2012)
High-income countries (18.3%) 197 24.5% 12.7 3.5 : 1
Upper-middle-income countries (34.3%) 192 23.8% 7.5 1.3 : 1
Lower-middle-income countries (35.4%) 333 41.4% 14.1 1.7 : 1
Low-income countries (12.0%) 82 10.2% 13.4 1.7 : 1
Global (100.0%) 804 100.0% 11.4 1.9 : 1

Male and female suicide rates are out of the total male population and total female population, respectively, i.e. total number of male suicides divided by the total male population. Age-standardized rates account for the influence that different population age distributions might have on the analysis of crude death rates, statistically addressing the prevailing trends by age-groups and populations' structures, to enhance long term cross-national comparability.

Based on age-groups' deviation from standardized population structures, rates are rounded up or down (age-adjustment). Basically, the presence of younger individuals in any given age structure carries more weight. If the rate is rounded up, that means the median age is lower than average for that region or country, and vice versa when rounded down.

Most countries listed above report a higher male suicide rate. Worldwide, there are about 3 male suicides out of 4, or a factor of 3:1. For example, the ratio in the United States was 3.36 in 2015, and 3.53 in 2016.

Though age-standardization is common statistical process to categorize mortality data for comparing purposes, this approach by WHO is based on estimates which take into account issues such as under-reporting, resulting in rates differing from the official national statistics prepared and endorsed by individual countries. Revisions are also performed periodically. Age-adjusted rates are mortality rates that would have existed if all populations under study had the same age distribution as a "standard" population. Plain, crude estimated rates are available at here and here. Countries with a population less than 100 000 are excluded.

Countries with large internal discrepancies are complicated to assess. Canada, a country with a comparatively low suicide rate overall at 10.3 incidents per 100,000 people in 2016, exhibits one such discrepancy. When comparing the suicide rate of Indigenous peoples in Canada, the rate of suicide increases to 24.3 incidents per 100,000 people in 2016, a rate among the ten highest in the world. There are numerous differences in living standards and income that contribute to this phenomenon, classed as an epidemic in Canada.

List by other sources and years (1985–2023)

In the list below various sources from various years are included, mixing plain crude rates with age-adjusted rates and estimated rates, so cross-national comparability is somewhat skewed.

* indicates "Suicide in COUNTRY or TERRITORY" or "Mental Health in COUNTRY or TERRITORY" links.

Suicides per 100,000 people per year
Country Male Female Overall Sources and year
 Greenland * (Danish Realm) 75.08 25.18 53.34 2019
 Lithuania * 32.2 6.7 18.6 2022
 South Korea * 35.9 16.2 26.0 2021
 Guyana * 41.25 10.20 25.52 2017
 Kazakhstan * 40.68 8.01 23.81 2017
 Slovenia 18.09 2016
 Sri Lanka * 14.6 2018
 Hungary 17.98 2016
 Belarus * 20.5 2017
 Taiwan (estimate) 20.1 2018
 Ukraine * 22.4 2016
 Uruguay * 37.2 9.9 23.3 2022
 Latvia 18.56 2016
 Moldova 15.9 2016
 Serbia 13.52 2016
 Belgium 17.0 2016
 Japan * 23.1 10.1 16.5 2018
 Taiwan (government data) 21.0 11.6 16.2 2022
 Croatia 16 2016
 Bhutan * 12.16 2017
 Austria 23.8 7.1 13.69 2016
 South Africa * 15.4 2005
 Estonia 14.31 2016
 France * 13.72 2023
 Suriname 23.9 4.8 14.4 2005
 Finland * 22.3 6.9 14.26 2016
 European Union 10.33 2016
 United States * 21.8 6.0 14.5 2017
 Poland 12.28 2016
 Russia * 13.7 2017
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.6 2012
 Czech Republic 11.4 2020
 Germany 11.29 2016
 Cuba 19.0 5.5 12.3 2008
 Bulgaria 9.24 2016
 New Zealand 19.0 5.8 12.3 2014–15
 Hong Kong * 16.2 8.8 12.3 2011
 Sweden * 11.73 2016
 Portugal 8.95 2016
 Romania * 10.13 2016
 Norway 12.08 2016
 United Kingdom * 11.2 2018
 Canada * 16.9 5.3 11.5 2009
 Iceland 12.3 2016
 Chile 18.2 4.2 11.2 2007
 Switzerland * 17 5.8 11.2 2011
 Netherlands 18.0 6.0 12.0 2015
 Trinidad and Tobago 17.9 3.8 10.7 2006
 India * 13.0 7.8 10.5 2009
 Ireland 17.4 3.4 10.3 2013
 Singapore * 13.3 7.3 10.3 2012
 Australia * 20.1 6.3 13.1 2019
 Slovakia 7.48 2016
 China * 9.8 2014
 Venezuela 9.5 2019
 Kyrgyzstan 14.1 3.6 8.8 2009
 Turkmenistan 13.8 3.5 8.6 1998
 Spain * 12.7 4.1 8.3 2013
 North Macedonia 12.6 3.9 8.0 2009
 El Salvador 12.9 3.6 8.0 2008
 Italy 12.7 3.8 8.0 2016
 Zimbabwe 10.6 5.2 7.9 1990
 Luxembourg 13.2 2.9 7.8 2008
 Argentina 12.6 3.0 7.7 2008
 Ecuador 10.5 3.6 7.1 2009
 Mauritius 11.8 1.9 6.8 2008
 Costa Rica 10.2 1.9 6.1 2009
 Thailand 9.7 2.58 6.03 2013
 Mongolia 8.6 3.1 5.85 2011
 Israel 9.9 2.1 5.8 2007
 Nicaragua 9.0 2.6 5.8 2006
 Panama 9.0 1.9 5.5 2008
 Turkey 6.34 1.90 4.12 2019
 Colombia 7.9 2.0 4.9 2007
 Brazil 7.7 2.0 4.8 2008
 Uzbekistan 7.0 2.3 4.7 2005
 Cambodia 4.6 2008
 Georgia 7.1 1.7 4.3 2009
 Albania 4.7 3.3 4.0 2003
 Mexico * 6.8 1.3 4.0 2008
 Honduras 3.84 2011
 Bahrain 4.0 3.5 3.8 2006
 Belize 6.6 0.7 3.7 2008
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.4 1.9 3.7 2008
 Paraguay 5.1 2.0 3.6 2008
 Cyprus 5.9 1.3 3.6 2009
 Guatemala 5.6 1.7 3.6 2008
 Barbados 7.3 0.0 3.5 2006
 Greece * 6.1 1.0 3.5 2009
 Malta 5.9 1.0 3.4 2008
 Iran * 3.9 2.1 3.4 2013
 Philippines 4.5 1.0 2.75 2005
 Tajikistan 2.9 2.3 2.6 2001
 Saint Lucia 4.9 0.0 2.4 2005
 Dominican Republic 3.9 0.7 2.3 2005
 Armenia 2.8 1.1 1.9 2008
 Kuwait 1.9 1.7 1.8 2009
 Bahamas 1.9 0.6 1.2 2005
 Pakistan * 1.45 0.71 1.10 2012
 Peru 1.1 0.6 0.9 2000
 São Tomé and Príncipe 0.0 1.8 0.9 1987
 Azerbaijan 1.0 0.3 0.6 2007
 Maldives 0.7 0.0 0.3 2005
 Jamaica 0.3 0.0 0.1 1990
 Syria 0.2 0.0 0.1 1985
 Jordan 0.2 0.0 0.1 2008
 Egypt 0.1 0.0 0.1 2009
 Grenada 0.0 0.0 0.0 2008
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.0 0.0 0.0 1995
 Antigua and Barbuda 0.0 0.0 0.0 1995
 Haiti 0.0 0.0 0.0 2003
 Nepal * 0.0 0.0 0.0 2003
  1. The male-female ratio shown below is based on the age-standardized rates: as compared to WHO world standard population, women's median age and life expectancy might be greater than that of men's for that country when rounded up, and vice versa when rounded down.
  2. Nevertheless, jumping from a high building as well as drowning were common methods of suicide in Taiwan, indicating the potential risks of type I and type II errors and misuse of statistics within the government's report. Hence, if halves of the death rates of the drowning and fall that were shown in government's report were extracted and added into the self-inflicted deaths (intentional injury death of self), it yields 0.0201% which is thought better reflecting the real case.
  3. Furthermore, jumping from a high building as well as drowning were common methods of suicide in Taiwan.

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. The first global estimates on suicide mortality began in the early 1980s, as a single World Bank-commissioned study on general mortality data compiled by the WHO as the first work of its kind on the global burden of disease (GBD). In the following years, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation acted as the coordinating center for the study then resulted in the collaboration between several researchers and institutions from many countries.
  2. In government's annual release, there were 3637 people per one hundred thousands of people in 2018 died of contacting poison, accidental fall, exposure to fire or smoke, accidental drowning including sinking beneath water to death in addition to the suicidal death that was equal to 3865 people per 100,000 people.
  3. Recently released figures by official Belgian authorities suggest a considerably higher rate of 17.0 persons (total) per 100,000 people per annum in 2009 (5,712 cases in a population of 10,749,000 (=10,666,866 as of 1 January 2008 increasing by 0,77% per annum.) as of 1 January 2009)."Toenemend aantal zelfdodingen in Belgie" (in Dutch). 2011. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012.
  4. The number of death in Belgium in 2008 due to suicide "zichzelf schade toebrengen" was reported at 2000 out of a total of 103.760 death. These death comprise 1453 men and 547 women. This puts the suicide rate at about 19 per 100.000. See statbel: http://statbel.fgov.be/nl/binaries/NL%20-%20Tableau%201%2E3_T_2008_tcm325-168456.pdf Archived 28 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  5. In government's annual release, there were 3637 people per one hundred thousands people in 2018 died of contacting poison, accidental fall, exposure to fire or smoke, accidental drowning, or sinking beneath water that were excluded from the statistical suicidal death figure equal to 3865 people per 100,000 people.
  • The updated figure of suicide rates in Belgium for 2011 is 2,084 with a total population of 10,933,607, equivalent to 18.96 per 100,000 inhabitants (source: Het Nieuwsblad, 10 April 2014).
  • Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. The Taiwanese government adopted the WHO standard in 2007. According to the Taiwanese government's self-released data, the figure is standardized based upon the population within Taiwan.

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