Statistics Research Institute

Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries, with suicide being a major cause of death among those in their teens, twenties, and thirties. Korea’s suicide rate (per 100,000 population) was 25.2 in 2022, and varied from 1983 to 2022 with economic crises and social issues. After the enactment of the Suicide Prevention Act in 2011, the suicide rate showed a downward trend but increased again from 2018 and decreased from 2020. The suicide rate was higher among men than women (Fig. Ⅲ-24). As for suicide rates by age group, from 1983 to 2022 the suicide rate for those under the age of 15 did not change significantly, while the rate for those aged 15-64 showed an upward trend. The suicide rate for those aged 65 and over declined but remained high. By age in 10 year groups, the suicide rate tends to increase with age. In particular, the suicide rate for those aged 80 and over was 60.6 in 2022, which was much higher than the other age groups (Fig. Ⅲ-25). As of 2022, the age-standardized suicide rate by region was highest in Chungnam at 27.4 per 100,000 population, while Seoul and Gyeonggi had lower rates of 17.9 and 19.8, respectively. From 1998 to 2022, Gwangju had the largest increase, up 69.9%, and Jeju had the largest decrease, down 21.9%. By occupation, students, domestic workers, and unemployed accounted for 60.0% of suicides in 2021. As of 2022, the number of suicides by month was highest in April and May and lowest in February, with more suicides found in spring and summer and fewer in winter. On Mondays, the highest number of suicides occurred, with a strong day-of-the-week effect among young people. In 2019, the number of suicide deaths spiked in October to December due to a celebrity committing suicide, and copycat suicides were identified, especially among women in their 20s. In 2021, 10.7% of adults had suicidal ideation at least once in their lifetime, with women (12.0%) being more likely than men (9.4%). 2.5% had made suicidal plans and 1.7% had made actual suicide attempts. By marital status, men who were divorced, separated and widowed were more likely to commit suicide, whereas women who were married, in de facto relationships and cohabiting were more likely to commit suicide. By education and employment status, the rate of suicidal ideation was higher among high school graduates, unemployed, students, and housewives. Among those who had made suicidal plans, 83.3% had mental disorders (Fig. Ⅲ-26). Yet, no more than 7.2% of those who were diagnosed with mental disorders in the past year used mental health services. Meanwhile, the global youth suicide rate decreased from 2000 to 2019, whereas Korea’s youth suicide rate increased. Korea’s youth suicide rate rose from 0.8 for 10-14 years old and 6.4 for 15-19 years old in 2000 to 1.9 and 9.9, respectively, in 2019 (Fig. Ⅲ-27). In particular, the suicide rate for adolescent girls aged 10-14 nearly tripled from 1.2 in 2017 to 3.2 in 2022. Korea has strengthened its suicide prevention policies since 2004 and enacted the Suicide Prevention Act in 2011. The Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention and local suicide prevention centers provide diverse services and education programs. The policy goal from 2023 to 2027 is to reduce the suicide rate by 30%, and various strategies and programs are being implemented for suicide prevention policies. However, the continuous rise in suicide rates in Korea requires a serious national approach and coordination from multiple sectors. ** This paper provides a summary of the full version, which is available in Korean edition.