In many countries, the suicide rate has decreased significantly – in the USA, however, it has increased

The global suicide rate fell by almost 30 percent between 1990 and 2021. At the beginning of the observation period, 10.33 people per 100,000 committed suicide; just over 30 years later, the number had fallen to 7.24. This was the result of an analysis of a World Health Organization database by an international team.

These figures are a general statement for the entire population. Looking at individual groups, significant differences become apparent. Men commit suicide 3.6 times more often than women. Among people over 65, more than 11 out of 100,000 take their own lives.

And there are countries experiencing a depressing trend. For example, contrary to the global trend, the suicide rate in the United States rose by almost 30 percent between 2000 and 2020. According to experts, this is due to a steadily rising proportion of suicides by firearms, whose prevalence has increased significantly.

The decline in the global suicide rate shows that preventive measures are working, explains Ute Lewitzka, Professor of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. Since the proportion of older people has been growing in many countries for years, an increase is actually to be expected for demographic reasons.

"It may sound banal, but it's particularly important to limit the opportunities to commit suicide," Lewitzka emphasizes. The common assumption that desperate people will then seek other options is incorrect.

Many suicides occur during a serious crisis. People are completely overwhelmed by the acute difficulties. They find themselves in a kind of tunnel, focused on the immediate situation. If the method they have devised doesn't work at that moment, they usually don't resort to another one.

Structural safety measures are therefore very effective. Bridges and other tall structures are increasingly being fitted with nets or otherwise modified. Making it more difficult to purchase poisons is equally important, emphasizes the prevention expert. In Asia, one in five suicides results from poisoning with pesticides or fertilizers. When a study in some stores required customers to speak to an employee before dispensing products, the suicide rate in the region fell by 60 percent.

In addition to the various hurdles, a wide range of counseling services have been created in many countries. Lewitzka is convinced that this has also contributed significantly to the observed decline in suicides in Germany, for example. Low-threshold services such as telephone counseling, as well as psychosocial crisis services, are particularly helpful.

Second, it's important that family doctors are trained to recognize depression. This led to a 60 percent drop in the suicide rate on the Swedish island of Gotland. Depression and other mental illnesses are significant risk factors for suicide, especially in wealthy countries.

In a statement to the Science Media Center Germany, Lasse Sander from the Institute of Medical Psychology at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau encourages laypeople to care for others: "Questions about suspected suicidal thoughts neither reinforce them nor trigger suicidality in the first place. If you are worried about someone, it is helpful to specifically address the possibility of suicidal thoughts."

Despite all the successes in prevention, the absolute number of suicides remains alarming. An estimated 727,000 people died from suicide worldwide in 2021. The high number of suicide attempts is also depressing. For every person who takes their own life, an estimated 10 to 20 survive. And the fact that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds worldwide is certainly not unnerving.

In Switzerland, around 1,000 people died by suicide each year over the past five years, and in Germany, 10,000. In Germany, the rate almost halved, falling from 14.25 (1990) to 7.83 (2020). However, more people still die by suicide there than from traffic accidents, violent crimes, illegal drugs, and AIDS combined.

In Germany and Switzerland, as well as in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada, the number of assisted suicides has recently increased. Since these are not reported separately in German statistics, experts assume that the slight increase since 2020 is largely due to this. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic remains unclear.

At first glance, the new study's finding that the highest suicide rate was found in Europe seems surprising. In 2021, the rate in the so-called Old Continent was 8.9, while in Africa it was 3.01. Part of the large difference can be explained by insecure data, the authors write. Data collection is unreliable, especially in Africa, but also generally in poorer countries.

Furthermore, suicide is still prohibited in some countries, and attempts are punishable. The legal situation, as well as cultural and religious factors, mean that suicide is heavily stigmatized in many places. Accordingly, there is a certain number of unreported cases depending on the country. This applies not only to poorer countries.

However, Europe's ignominious top spot isn't just due to more reliable data collection. Previous analyses have shown that wealthier countries have higher suicide rates, says Lewitzka. This also applies to South Korea and Japan in Asia, and the USA and Canada in the Americas.

While every country has its own unique circumstances, the Western lifestyle apparently increases the suicide rate. This is likely because this way of life is associated with lower social and family cohesion, increased loneliness, and greater pressure to succeed. Perhaps people also dwell too much on their living conditions and the crises of this world, leading some to despair. Experts point out that multiple factors usually lead to suicidality.

The authors of the new analysis also ventured a look into the future. According to their models, the suicide rate will continue to decline worldwide. However, this will only be possible if, in view of the increasing number of crises and disasters, investments in prevention continue and are increased, says Lewitzka.