Japan has seen an increase in suicides cases among school students last year.
According to international media reports, Japanese officials say that 513 primary and high school students committed suicide in 2023, while this number increased to 527 in 2024.
As reported by the officials, the overall suicide trend in Japan has decreased, decreasing by 7.2 percent in 2024 to 20,268.
It should be noted that in 2003, record suicides occurred in Japan and 34,427 people took their own lives.
Last year, 13,763 men committed suicide, a 45 percent decrease compared to 2003, while 6,505 women ended their lives, a 31 percent decrease.
The data shows that the number of suicides among people under the age of 20, including school students, decreased to 800 in 2024. In 2023, this number was recorded at 810.
“We are looking at the matter very seriously,” the Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary told a press briefing.
He said that we will continue to try to save children’s lives and take measures so that no one is forced to take their own lives.
Every year, at the end of the summer holidays in Japan, the number of suicides among young people increases, and the government and the media appeal that young people facing difficulties seek our help.
The exact causes of most student suicides in Japan are still unknown, but past analyses have suggested that academic pressure, relationships, career choices, and health problems are also major causes of suicide.
In 2003, when suicides in Japan reached a record high, men outnumbered women by three to one. Since then, the male suicide rate has declined sharply.
