Figure A.10.2.

SUICIDE Age-standardized suicide mortality rate, 2012a

SDG Target 3.4

By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
Indicator 3.4.2: Suicide mortality rate

SITUATION acute episodes and relapse prevention, based
on medications and psychological interventions
Mental disorders occur in all regions and that are effective and produce fewer side-effects.
cultures of the world. The most prevalent of
these disorders are depression and anxiety, However, rates of recognition of depression
which are estimated to affect nearly one in 10 remain low, both by those suffering from it and
(676 million) people. At its worst, depression can by health care providers. According to the World
lead to suicide. Other key risk factors for suicide Mental Health Surveys,4 even in high-resource
include previous attempts and easy access to settings only around half of those with depression
means of suicide, such as pesticides or firearms. receive any treatment, with about 40% receiving
treatment considered to be minimally adequate.
In 2012, there were over 800 000 estimated In low-income countries coverage is much
suicide deaths worldwide, with 86% of these lower. In Nigeria, for example, only one fifth of
States have well-functioning death-registration
systems that record causes of death. In particular,
very few low-income and African countries have
functioning death-registration systems.
While depression is known to be prevalent,
the available data are not adequate to provide
Suicide rate
reliable estimates of global and regional trends.
Country health information systems do not (per 100 000 population)
routinely collect data on a core set of mental <5.0
health indicators in over two thirds of countries, 5.09.9
and are unable to provide reliable information on 10.014.9 Data not available
the extent of service coverage, even for severe 15.0 Not applicable 0 750 1500 3000 Kilometres

occurring in people under 70 years of age.1 those with a depressive episode receive any mental disorders. a
WHO Member States with a population of less than 250 000 in 2012 were not included in the analysis.
Globally, among young adults aged 1529 years, treatment and only 1 in 50 receives treatment
suicide accounts for 8.5% of all deaths and is that is minimally adequate.
REFERENCES Table A.10.1.
ranked as the second leading cause of death, after TableA.10.1. Suicide mortality rates (per 100000 population), 2012
Suicide mortality rate (per 100 000 population), 2012a
road traffic injuries. In high-income countries, ACHIEVING THE 2030 TARGET Unless otherwise noted, all mortality statistics in the text, tables and
1

figures are taken from: Global Health Estimates 2013: Deaths by Cause, Age AFR AMR EUR EMR
three times as many men die by suicide than and Sex, Estimates for 20002012. Geneva: World Health Organization;
women, while globally the corresponding figure Moderate and severe depression are both 2014 (http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/en/). Algeria 1.8 Jamaica 1.2 Azerbaijan 1.7 Saudi Arabia 0.3

is 1.8 times as many (Figure A.10.1). included within the Mental Health Action Plan 2
The CASP blueprint for a Canadian National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Mauritania 1.8 Belize 2.2 Tajikistan 3.2 Syrian Arab Republic 0.4
Second edition. Winnipeg: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention; Armenia 3.3
20132020 target to increase service coverage 2009 (http://suicideprevention.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/
Niger 1.8 Bahamas 2.3
Lebanon 0.9
Georgia 3.8
Figure A.10.1. for people with severe mental disorders by 20% SuicidePreventionBlueprint0909.pdf, accessed 29 March 2016). Namibia 2.0 Haiti 2.3
Greece 4.9 Kuwait 1.0
Suicide mortality rates, by sex, by WHO region and by 2020.5 WHO Member States have committed 3
Preventing suicide: a global imperative. Geneva: World Health Organization; Ghana 2.3 Barbados 2.6
globally, 2012 Cyprus 5.1 Oman 1.0
2014 (http:// www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention/ Liberia 2.6
to developing and providing comprehensive, world_report_2014/en/, accessed 29 March 2016).
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 2.6
Israel 6.2
Iraq 1.1
Chad 2.7
Male Female integrated and responsive mental health and 4
The World Mental Health Survey Initiative [website]. Boston: Harvard
Peru 3.1 Italy 6.4
Libya 1.5
South Africa 2.7
social services in community-based settings.6 Medical School (http://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/wmh/, accessed 29 Dominican Republic 3.6 Albania 6.5
Egypt 1.6
25 March 2016). Mali 2.8
Mexico 4.1 TheThe former
Former Yugoslav
Yugoslav RepublicRepublic of ..
of Macedonia 6.7
Suicide prevention is also an integral component 6.8 Jordan 1.6
Malta
Mortality rate (per 100 000 population)

Burkina Faso 2.9 4.4

of the Action Plan, with the target of reducing
5
Mental Health Action Plan 20132020. Geneva: World Panama
Health Organization; 2013 (http://apps.who.int/iris/ 3.1 Spain 7.0 Tunisia 2.4
20 Guinea-Bissau Honduras 4.9
the rate of suicide in countries by 10% by 2020. bitstream/10665/89966/1/9789241506021_eng.pdf, accessed 29 3.2 United Kingdom 7.0
March 2016). Botswana Paraguay 5.3 United Arab Emirates 3.0
Uzbekistan 7.7
Gambia 3.2
Colombia 5.5 Yemen 3.1
15 For national responses to be effective, a 6
Resolution WHA66.8. Comprehensive mental health action plan
Senegal 3.2
Turkey 8.0
20132020. In: Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly, Geneva, 2027 Brazil 6.0 Afghanistan 4.0
comprehensive multisectoral suicide-prevention May 2013. Resolutions and decisions, annexes.Geneva: World Health Guinea 3.3
Kyrgyzstan 8.9
Costa Rica 6.9 Netherlands 10.0 Qatar 4.7
10 strategy is needed. This should include the Organization; 2013:123 (WHA66/2013/REC/1; http://apps.who.int/
Benin 3.7
gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA66-REC1/A66_REC1-en.pdf, accessed 29 Guatemala 7.3 Norway 10.2
Morocco 5.0
early identification and effective management March 2016). Togo 3.7
8.9 Luxembourg 10.9
Ecuador Iran (Islamic Republic of) 5.3
5 of suicidal behaviours, as well as follow-up and 7
Mental Health Atlas 2014. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015 (http:// Cabo Verde 3.9
9.1 Denmark 11.2
Nicaragua Bahrain
community-based support for those who attempt apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/178879/1/9789241565011_eng. Nigeria 4.3
10.8
Ireland 11.5 7.2
pdf?ua=1&ua=1, accessed 29 March 2016). Argentina
0 suicide, reducing the harmful use of alcohol and Cameroon 4.9
Canada 11.4
Switzerland 12.2 Pakistan 7.5

Portugal 12.5
AFR AMR SEAR EUR EMR WPR Global restricting access to the most common means of Swaziland 5.3
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 11.7
Somalia 8.0
Slovakia 12.6
suicide (including pesticides, firearms and certain Cte d'Ivoire 5.4
El Salvador 12.8 12.8
Djibouti 10.7
Romania
There has been a 9% decrease globally in the medications). In addition to suicide-mortality Lesotho 5.4
Chile 13.0 Germany 13.0
Sudan 11.5

number of suicide deaths between 2000 and data, suicide-attempt data equally needs to be Sierra Leone 5.6
United States of America 13.7 Sweden 13.2
2012, at the same time as the global population part of a surveillance system. Gabon 7.0
Uruguay 13.8 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.9

has increased. The global suicide mortality rate Madagascar 7.3

Trinidad and Tobago 14.4 Bulgaria 14.5

has fallen 21% over the same period, which is EQUITY Ethiopia 7.5
Cuba 14.6
Iceland 15.1 WPR
Rwanda 7.6 Austria 15.6
mostly driven by decreases among both sexes Suriname 28.3
15.6 Malaysia 2.6
Congo 7.8 Czech Republic
in the WHO European Region and WHO Western The stigma surrounding depression and suicide, Guyana 34.8
France 15.8 Philippines 2.6
Central African Republic 7.9
Pacific Region. However, after controlling for which impedes the seeking of help and service Croatia 16.5 Viet Nam 5.1
Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.0
population ageing, increases have been observed provision, is exacerbated for marginalized and 8.3
Finland 16.7
Fiji 5.9
Eritrea
in around 50 individual countries, including discriminated-against groups. Additionally, many Mauritius 8.5
Serbia 16.8
Brunei Darussalam 6.2
some high-income countries, where some of facilities in LMIC do not have the capacity to Malawi 8.6
SEAR Republic of Moldova 17.0
Solomon Islands 6.3
Slovenia 17.1
the highest rates remain (Figure A.10.2) provide basic treatment for depression, as health Zambia 9.6 Indonesia 3.7
17.8 Lao People's Democratic Republic 6.4
Belgium
workers are not trained in mental health issues Comoros 10.5 Maldives 5.0
Estonia 18.7 Papua New Guinea 7.7
In the past half century, the decriminalization of and medicines are not available.7 Angola 10.6 Timor-Leste 5.4 Montenegro 18.9
8.7
China
suicide in many countries has made it possible Kenya 10.8 Bangladesh 6.6 Turkmenistan 19.4
Cambodia 9.0
for those with suicidal thoughts to seek help, DATA GAPS Uganda 11.9 Myanmar 12.4 Ukraine
Poland
20.1
20.5 Singapore 9.0
if available. Comprehensive national strategies South Sudan 13.6 Thailand 13.1
Belarus 21.8 Mongolia 9.3
or action plans, especially in high-income The complete recording of suicide deaths in Equatorial Guinea 13.9 Bhutan 16.0
Latvia 21.8
New Zealand 10.3
countries,2 and the restricting in some countries death-registration systems requires good linkages United Republic of Tanzania 15.1 Nepal 20.3
Russian Federation 22.3
of access to the means of suicide (such as with coronial and police systems, but can be Burundi 16.4 India 20.9 Australia 11.6
Kazakhstan 24.2
pesticides or firearms) have also contributed to the seriously impeded by stigma, social and legal Zimbabwe 16.6 Sri Lanka 29.2 Hungary 25.4 Japan 23.1

improvements observed.3 New treatments have considerations, and delays in determining cause Mozambique 17.3 Democratic
Democratic People's
Peoples Republic
Republic of ..
of Korea Lithuania 33.5 Republic of Korea 36.8

also become available for depression, for both of death. Less than one half of WHO Member a
WHO Member States with a population of less than 250 000 in 2012 were not included in the analysis.

62 WORLD HEALTH STATISTICS: 2016 MONITORING HEALTH FOR THE SDGs 63