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In 2022, 5 017 young people aged 15-29 years died in the EU as a result of intentional self-harm. Compared with 2011, it indicates a decrease of 20% (- 1 248 deaths). Data show that in this age group of 15-29 years, more than 1 in 6 deaths were registered as intentional self-harm, while for the total population, the weight of self-harm among other causes of death was 1 in 100. For young people, it was the second most prominent cause of death, following accidents.

According to available data by age, people in their twenties were more likely to die from intentional self-harm than their younger peers. The highest crude rate of deaths by suicide in young people in the EU was registered among people 25-29 years old, with a crude death rate of 8.3 deaths per 100 000 people, and 7.7 amongst those aged 20 to 24 years. Among people 15-19 years old, the crude death rate was 4.4. 

Crude death rates from intentional self-harm among young people in the EU, 2011 and 2022 (number of deaths per 100 000 people; by age group). Bar chart. Link to full dataset below.

Source dataset:hlth_cd_acdr2 

Since 2011, there has been a decrease in crude death rates associated with intentional self-harm. In the age group 25-29 years, the rate decreased by 1.2 percentage points (pp), from 9.5 in 2011, while in the 20-24 group it went down by 1.1 pp from 8.8. In the 15 to 19 years group, the variation is smaller, down 0.4 pp from 4.8.

The crude death rate associated with intentional self-harm is higher for the total population than for young people – even if the weight of this cause among other causes of death shrinks considerably.

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

Deaths by suicide in the EU see yearly increase in 2022

In 2022, there were 49 042 deaths of residents of all ages due to suicide in the EU, equivalent to standardised death rate of 10.6 deaths per 100 000 people. 

Compared with 2021, the number of deaths in the entire population by intentional self-harm increased by 1 696, which was a standardised death rate of 10.24 deaths per 100 000 people. However, compared with 2011, the first year for which there is data, the number of deaths by self-harm decreased by 10% (-5 581 deaths). In 2011, the standardised death rate for suicides in the EU was 12.4 deaths per 100 000 people.

Among EU countries, Slovenia registered the highest standardised death rate of suicide in 2022 with 18.3 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants, followed by Lithuania (18.2) and Hungary (16.7). At the opposite end of the scale, Cyprus recorded the lowest standardised death rates for suicide (4.1 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants), ahead of Greece (4.6) and Malta (5.2).
 

Source dataset: hlth_cd_asdr2

For more information

Methodological notes

  • Statistics on the causes of death are based on the medical information provided in the death certificate. Causes of death are classified by the 86 causes in the European shortlist, which is based on the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).
  • Regulation on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work (EC) No 1338/2008 is the framework of the data collection on the domain. Within the context of this framework Regulation, the Commission adopted a Regulation on statistics on causes of death (EU) No 328/2011 which specifies the data to be collected. This regulation allows countries to transmit statistics on the causes of death up until 2 years after the end of the reference year. Eurostat and countries make efforts to increase the timeliness by putting in place a voluntary data transmission deadline at 18 months after the reference year. Eurostat also disseminated all statistics that can be calculated as soon as possible after a country has transmitted their data. The time needed by countries to process the death certificates and to have the data ready for national publication differs quite a lot but usually, it lasts from 6 months to 26 months.
  • The first segment of the news article concerning young people was prepared with data available for all people in the EU (resident or not) – as crude death rate with age breakdown - while the second segment related to total population at the national level concerns residents of the EU and is presented as standardised death rate. The standardised death rate is the death rate of a population adjusted to a standard age distribution. It is calculated as a weighted average of the age-specific death rates of a given population, while the crude death rate is the total number of deaths in a population over a specific period (typically a year), divided by the total population, giving a general overview of mortality in a population.
  • In case you or somebody you know is struggling with the issues mentioned in this article, you can find a support service on the following Mental Health Europe page.

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