Suicide rate Japan 2014-2023

In 2023, Japan reported 17.6 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The country's suicide rate had shown a steady downwards trend over the past decade but began to rise again in 2020. The unexpected upward trend is likely to be connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.  What are the reasons behind Japan’s high suicide rates? Historically, Japan’s high suicide rates were closely linked to the economic situation of individuals. While the majority of suicides in Japan stemmed from health reasons, existential worries and problems directly related to work also accounted for thousands of self-inflicted deaths in the past years. The most profound issue faced by employees in Japan leading to self-harm in the past decade has been exhaustion. An increasing pressure of retaining jobs by putting in more hours of overtime, while taking fewer holidays and sick days, were considered the main motivators behind the rising suicide numbers among office workers and employees. Occupational sudden mortality, known as karoshi ("death by overwork") is a well-known phenomenon in Japanese society. Besides physical pressure, mental stress from the workplace can cause karoshi. Suicide due to occupational stress or overwork is called karojisatsu ("overwork suicide") in Japan.  Which demographic groups are affected? While middle-aged men were frequently portrayed as the highest-risk group for suicide in Japan, suicides among elderly and school children were recurrently picked up by the media. Financial anxiety, bullying, isolation, and the lack of a proficient mental healthcare system were only some factors contributing to the country’s high suicide rates among all age groups.

截至2023年，日本每10万人中自杀人数为17.6人。在过去十年中，该国的自杀率一直呈现稳定下降的趋势，但自2020年起又开始回升。这一令人意外的上升趋势很可能与COVID-19大流行有关。日本高自杀率背后的原因是什么？从历史角度看，日本的高自杀率与个人的经济状况密切相关。尽管日本的大多数自杀源于健康原因，但存在的焦虑以及与工作直接相关的问题在过去几年中也导致了数千起自伤死亡。在过去十年中，日本员工面临的最深刻的问题导致自我伤害的是疲劳。不断增加的加班以保留工作机会，同时减少休假和病假，被认为是办公室工作人员和员工自杀人数上升的主要诱因。职业猝死，即所谓的‘过劳死’，在日本社会是一个为人熟知的 phenomenon。除了身体压力之外，工作场所的心理压力也可能导致过劳死。在日本，由于职业压力或过劳导致的自杀被称为‘过劳自杀’。哪些人群受到的影响？虽然中年男性在日本经常被视为自杀的最高风险群体，但老年人和学龄儿童自杀事件也经常被媒体报道。财务焦虑、欺凌、孤立以及缺乏高效的心理健康服务体系，只是导致该国所有年龄段高自杀率的一些因素。