Japan sees record number of teen suicides

Fong/AFP

Japan has recorded a record number of teenage suicides in 2024, according to health ministry data released Wednesday.

The latest Data among middle and high school students (aged 11 and over) recorded 527 suicides last year compared to 513 in 2023, the ministry said.

The total number of people of all ages who died by suicide fell 7.2 percent to 20,268, down sharply from a record 34,427 cases in 2003.

The number of people under 20, including those in school, also fell slightly to 800 deaths in 2024 from 810 in 2023, according to the latest data.

“We take all this very seriously,” Keiichiro Tachibana, deputy chief cabinet secretary of the ministry, said at a press briefing.

“We will continue to do our utmost to take measures to protect the lives of children and create a society where no one is forced to commit suicide,” he said. added.

The Department of Health is expected to release an analysis of the data in March, once more figures are available.

Every year, Japan sees a spike in teenage suicides around the end of the summer vacation, between late August and early September, prompting the government to step up public campaigns offering help to troubled youth.

The exact reasons for the majority of student suicides remain largely unknown, but previous studies have shown that teenagers face a range of pressures, including academics, bullying, career choices, and health issues.

In 2003, the number of male suicides in Japan – of all ages – was almost three times higher than that of females. The rate for men has fallen sharply since then, although it is still about twice as high as that of women.

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