In this article, we will talk about 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. Around 800,000 people commit suicide annually, making it one of the worst issues confronting the globe today. According to the University of Manchester, the cost of suicide is enormous globally. At an estimated cost of 1.67 million GBP ($2.09 million) per suicide death (this includes intangible costs, potential output loss, as well as police work, and funeral costs), the prevention of 300 suicides in England and Wales could lead to annual savings of around 500 million GBP ($625.85 million)

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that suicide is the 10th most common cause of death in the United States. Between 2000 and 2022, suicide rates rose by approximately 36%. In 2022 alone, there were 49,476 suicide deaths, equivalent to about one death every 11 minutes. The number of individuals who contemplate or attempt suicide is even greater. In 2022, an estimated 13.2 million American adults seriously considered suicide, 3.8 million made plans for an attempt, and 1.6 million attempted suicide.

The prevalence of suicide and depression are closely correlated. In America, less affluent and less inhabited places had greater suicide rates. Moreover, in the US men commit suicide at a rate four times higher than women according to the CDC. Globally, the ratio is comparable at 3.5 to 1.

Regretfully, despite the progress achieved in the identification and treatment of mental diseases, these conditions are nonetheless stigmatized and sometimes connected to mental weakness. Because of this mentality, a lot of people choose to conceal their sickness rather than seek therapy, which causes it to worsen until the person loses mental capacity. Getting individuals to seek therapy right away instead of keeping their sadness a secret might be the most powerful weapon we have against suicide.

Suicide is caused by several factors. One of the main ones is the lack of access to mental healthcare, as therapy is frequently too costly or stigmatized. Suicide risk is also increased by a history of mental illness, including depression, which is quite widespread as you can see in our compilation of the American cities with the highest rates of depression. However, there may be other contributing factors in less developed nations as well, such as greater rates of poverty and lack of access to even the most basic requirements. For this reason, many developing nations rank among the top countries in the world for suicide rates.

Teenage and young adult suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States. A suicide happens somewhere in the world every 40 seconds, according to the World Health Organization. Although most of the nations with high suicide rates are also among the poorest, a startlingly large number of highly developed and rich nations also appear often on lists of countries with high suicide rates.

Methodology

To identify the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world, we examined the most recent data and trends on Google News and reliable resources like the WHO and WPR for the most recent year.

The following articles from the Insider Monkey database were also taken into account: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

We have ranked the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world in descending order on the basis of number of suicides per 100,000 people.

20 Countries with the Highest Suicide Rates in the World

20- Austria 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 14.6

Suicide rates are rather high in Austria. In 2022, there were 1,314 documented suicide cases in Austria, with 313 women and 1,001 men taking their own lives.

Contrary to popular belief, men commit around 75% of all suicides in Austria each year. Suicide attempts are more prevalent in teenagers and it is higher in rural regions compared to urban ones, and that it is linked to socioeconomic variables.

19- Moldova 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 14.7

Moldova is one of the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. According to a Health Policy article, 17.34% of Moldovans have been diagnosed with mental diseases as a result of mental disorders linked to systemic difficulties. Sadly, these problems coexist with Moldova’s alarmingly high suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 individuals, which is 3.4 times higher than the 2019 EU average. Alcoholism is a significant contributor to mental disease in Moldova, accounting for one in every four fatalities there. The global average, by contrast, is one in twenty.

18- Finland

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 15.3

Next on the list of 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world we have Finland. In Finland, men with low socioeconomic position, rural residence, and heavy alcohol consumption are the most common among suicide victims. There are notable socioeconomic disparities, particularly among males who commit suicide. According to estimates, 7% of adult Finns experience anxiety, depression, or alcohol-related problems.

17- United States 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 16.1

Suicide rates differ significantly from state to state even though the country is one of 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world.

Just under 50,000 suicide fatalities, or 14.3 deaths per 100,000 persons, were recorded in 2022, a 3% rise compared to 2021. Between 1999 and 2020, the United States witnessed a continuous rise in suicide rates among adolescents, as per a recent analysis. Over 47,000 individuals aged 10 to 19 took their own lives during this period, with year-on-year increases noted

16- Croatia 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 16.4

The death rate from suicide in Croatia is greater than the average for all EU members. Croatia’s suicide rate was 11.3/100,000 in 2019, but by 2021 it had increased to 15.1/100,000, with a rise in the 15–19 age range. Suicide rates for men and women varied from 2.2 to 3.85 to one. Suicide rates have been slowly dropping over the past 20 years, but they still pose a serious threat to public health in Croatia. Therefore, it is also on the list of 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world.

15- Hungary

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 16.6

Overall, there were fewer suicides that resulted in fatalities over the time period under observation. But each year, males commit suicide at a rate that is far greater than that of women. A total of 1,647 Hungarians committed suicide as of 2022. Furthermore, the two regions with the lowest COVID death rates—Central Hungary and Central Transdanubia—saw notable increases in suicide rates, rising by 27.3% and 22.2%, respectively. As a result, it is included in the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world.

14- Kazakhstan

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 17.6

One of the closest risk factors for suicidal thoughts and actions is acute alcohol use in Kazakhstan, which also made the list of 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. Before committing suicide, 22.5% of men 22.5% and 13.4% of women, have been reported to had consumed alcohol.

Even after accounting for age and other factors, men had 2.73 times greater chances of drinking than women. Suicide is frequently caused by alcohol usage, especially in young and middle-aged male adults. Additionally, there is a stronger correlation between alcohol usage and some suicide strategies.

13- Mongolia 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 17.9

Around 32% of teenagers in Mongolia said they had attempted suicide once in their life. Multivariable analysis revealed a strong correlation between the following factors: anxiety, violence, injury, alcohol tobacco use, and sexual activity. The suicide mortality rate in Mongolia stood at 17.9 per 100,000 population in 2019, as reported by the World Bank’s compilation of development indicators from officially recognized sources

12- Slovenia 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 19.8

Slovenia is another country among the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. It is one of the nations where suicide is a significant social and public health issue. For years, Slovenia has maintained one of the world’s highest suicide rates, approximately 30 per 10,000 people. Particularly in eastern Slovenia, the suicide rate remains notably elevated.

11- Ukraine 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 21.6

Before the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, suicide emerged as a primary cause of death within the Ukrainian Army, accounting for 18% to 50% of all fatalities due to underfunding and neglect. In Ukraine, suicide is a major societal problem and a frequent cause of unnatural death. Ukraine was rated 13th in the world in 2009 based on the number of suicides per 100,000 persons.

10- South Africa 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 23.5

Adolescents in South Africa, another one of the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world, are more likely to experience psychological maladjustment. The need for mental health treatments stems from the nation’s startlingly high rates of crime and violence.

In South Africa, university students’ mental health is regarded as one of the most urgent public health issues. Furthermore, it’s possible that 75% of South Africans who suffer from mental disease don’t have access to sufficient mental healthcare.

9- Russia

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 25.1

Russia is also considered one of the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. Suicide is a major societal problem in Russia, where there are 25.1 suicides for every 100,000 people. According to official sources, the suicide rate in Russia decreased from 39.1 in 2000 and 41.4 in 1995 to 10.7 per 100,000 persons in 2021. The rate of suicide is significantly influenced by heavy alcohol consumption; it is believed that alcohol abuse accounts for half of all suicides.

8- Suriname 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 25.4

In Suriname, suicide and attempted suicide are recognized as major mental health issues, particularly in the Nickerie district. High average rates of attempted suicide (207 per 100,000) and suicide (48 per 100,000) were found in an epidemiological research conducted in the Nickerie catchment region.

7- Lithuania 

•  Average suicide rate per 100,000: 26.1

Significant cultural elements have been recognized as contributing to the high suicide rates in the region, including the stigmatization of mental health concerns and the negative effects of alcohol usage. Since the early 1990s, high suicide rates have been a serious and ongoing problem for Lithuania and its neighboring nations and it ranks among the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. 

6- Micronesia 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 28.2

Micronesia has the highest number of suicide rates and therefore is ranked among the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. 

The communal village-level of organization in Micronesia has mostly collapsed due to post-war societal upheaval, and the nuclear family is now responsible for adolescent socialization functions. The ensuing circumstances of generational conflict within the family seem to be the main social causes of teenage suicide.

5- Kiribati 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 28.3

Kiribati has the highest age-standardized suicide fatality rate among the Pacific Islands. Between 2007 and 2017, there was a 14.4% rise in the number of self-harm related fatalities. There is a strong suspicion that the rise in this alarming figure is mostly due to climate change. The residents of Kiribati live with the constant worry that, should a minor storm ever hit the island, the whole country will be swallowed up by the Pacific Ocean due to increasing sea levels. Hence, also one of the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. 

4- South Korea 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 28.6

In a reflection of the pandemic’s long-term effects, South Korea’s suicide rate increased slightly last year and remained the highest in the industrialized world. In 2019, there were 28.6 suicides per 100,000 persons in South Korea.

Due to poverty and isolation, elderly persons in South Korea continue to have the highest suicide death rate, although the number of young suicide deaths is rising.

3- Eswatini

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 29.4

In Eswatini, suicide is one of the main causes of death; in 2016, the estimated age-standardized rate was 16.7 per 100,000 people. The following factors were linked to suicide behavior in school-age teenagers in Eswatini: age, sex, food insecurity, and sexual behavior. Consequently, it is also among the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. 

2- Guyana  

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 40.3

With an astounding 40.3 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants (compared to the global average of 16 per 100,000), the tiny South American nation of Guyana has the highest suicide among the 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world.

Furthermore, those in need of assistance have few choices because the nation lacks a functioning crisis hotline, social workers and psychologists are in low supply, and there are less than ten full-time psychiatrists.

1- Lesotho 

• Average suicide rate per 100,000: 72.4

On the top of our list of 20 countries with the highest suicide rates in the world is Lesotho with the average suicide rate of 72.4 which is such an alarming figure. Overall, there is so little recognition of mental health issues and such a strong societal stigma around seeking assistance that many individuals would choose to suffer in silence or take the tragic decision to end their own life.