Deaths by suicide down by almost 14% in a decade

In 2020, there were 47 252 deaths due to intentional self-harm in the EU, corresponding to 0.9% of all deaths reported that year. This is the equivalent of an average of 10.2 deaths per 100 000 people. As in previous years, the suicide rate was higher among men than women, with 77.1% of all deaths by self-harm corresponding to men. 

Compared with 2011, the first year for which there is data, the number of deaths by suicide decreased by 13.5% (- 7 371 deaths). In 2011, the standardised death rate for suicide in the EU was 12.4 deaths per 100 000 people.

Among EU countries, Lithuania registered the highest rate of suicide in 2020 with 21.3 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants, followed by Hungary (17.1), Slovenia (17.0), and Estonia (16.3). 

At the opposite end of the scale, Cyprus recorded the lowest standardised death rates for suicide (3.5 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants), followed by Malta and Greece (both 4.0), Italy (5.6) and Slovakia (6.9).
 

Regional patterns for standardised death rates for suicide

Source datasets: hlth_cd_asdr2 (rate) and hlth_cd_aro (absolute number)

When looking at regional data (NUTS2), the South Great Plain region in Hungary recorded the highest standardised death rate for suicide at 23.9 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants. This region was followed by the Central and Western regions of Lithuania (22.9), Lower Normandy in France (22.3), Świętokrzyskie in central Poland (21.2) and Hungary’s North Great Plain (20.6). 

On the other hand, the regions with the smallest number of deaths resulting from suicide were Mayotte in France (1.4), North Aegean (2.3) and Central Macedonia (2.9) in Greece, Campania in Italy (2.9), and South-West region in Bulgaria (3.0), all with a standardised death rate for self-harm of 3 or less deaths per 100 000 inhabitants.

This news item marks the World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September.