Suicide is a global issue that affects all nations, cultures, religions, genders, and classes. It is important to examine the countries with the highest suicide rates, as some have been ranked as having the highest suicide rate in the world. According to the information obtained from the World Population Review, we have compiled a list of the top 10 countries in the world with the highest suicide rates.
The World Health Organization reports that one person commits suicide worldwide every 40 seconds. There are a surprising number of highly developed, wealthy countries that score high in these figures, despite the fact that the majority of countries with high suicide rates are impoverished.
In terms of gender, men are nearly three times more likely than women to commit suicide, with the most common methods being poisoning, hanging, and weapons.
Summary
The country with the highest suicide rate is Lesotho, with 72.4 suicides per 100,000 residents, followed by Guyana (40.3) and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), with 29.4. At 28.6 suicides per 100,000 persons, South Korea ranks fourth, followed closely by Kiribati (28.3) and Micronesia at 28.2. Suriname comes in seventh with 25.4 suicides per 100,000 people, closely behind Lithuania with 26.1. Suicide rates in Russia and South Africa are 25 and 23.5 per 100,000 people, respectively.
Causes of Suicide
There are many factors that predispose an individual to commit suicide. Some of them are:
- depression
- disorders of the mind
- abnormalities at birth
- economic standing
- financial struggles
- workplace performance
- overall life satisfaction
- unemployment
- alcohol consumption
All the factors listed above culminate in depression, which is the single greatest cause of suicide worldwide.
Suicide Rates Among Genders
Generally, from the information provided, men have a higher chance of committing suicide than women. The reason for this is not unconnected with the many pressures that accompany men.
| Country | Total Suicide Rate (per 100k people) | Male Rate | Female Rate |
| Lesotho | 72.4 | 116 | 30.1 |
| Guyana | 40.3 | 63 | 17.4 |
| Eswatini | 29.4 | 55.1 | 4.7 |
| South Korea | 28.6 | 40.2 | 16.9 |
| Kiribati | 28.3 | 48.6 | 8.7 |
| Micronesia | 28.2 | 43.2 | 12.7 |
| Lithuania | 26.1 | 45.4 | 9.6 |
| Suriname | 25.4 | 38.8 | 11.8 |
| Russia | 25.1 | 43.6 | 9.1 |
| South Africa | 23.5 | 37.6 | 9.8 |
How to Reduce Suicide Rate
To reduce the rate of deaths, countries must address the underlying factors that make someone more likely to choose suicide, such as depression, academic, performance, physical condition, mental health and well-being, economic standing, financial struggles, workplace performance, and overall life satisfaction.
Warning Signs for Suicide
Warning signs for suicide include:
- talking about wanting to die
- feelings of hopelessness
- withdrawing from activities once enjoyed
- expressing feelings of excessive guilt or shame
- exhibiting risky behaviors such as substance abuse
- sudden changes in mood or behavior.
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Top 10 Countries with the Highest Suicide Rates (2024)
The list is given based on the suicide rates per 100k:
- 10. South Africa – 23.5
- 9. Russia – 25.1
- 8. Suriname – 25.4
- 7. Lithuania – 26.1
- 6. Federated States of Micronesia – 28.2
- 5. Kiribati – 28.3
- 4. South Korea – 28.6
- 3. Eswatini – 29.4
- 2. Guyana – 40.3
- 1. Lesotho – 72.4
10. South Africa
South Africa is one of the world’s most suicidal nation, with 23.5 suicides per 100,000 people, according to WHO. Unemployment and poverty are widespread, leading to feelings of helplessness and despair.
Lack of mental health care is also a major problem, as services are not generally available nationwide. Overall, suicide rates are alarmingly high and this completes our list of the top 10 countries with the highest suicide rates.
9. Russia
Russia has the ninth-highest rate of suicide in the world, with 25.1 suicides for every 100,000 people. Suicide is more common in men than women, with a prevalence of 55.9 fatalities per 100,000 persons. Alcoholism contributes to up to 75% of suicide cases in Russia, making it a significant risk factor.
8. Suriname
Suriname is a tiny South American nation surrounded by Guyana, Brazil, and French Guiana. It has a population of about 600,438 and is a culturally diversified country, but it also has one of the highest suicide rates worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization figures, Suriname reported 25.4 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants overall, with men more likely to commit suicide than women. Suicide is associated with factors such as poverty, domestic violence, and alcohol misuse, with minors being seen as an especially vulnerable group.
Over the past ten years, suicide rates have dramatically increased, making Suriname the eighth-most suicidal nation in the world. This is a significant issue that requires attention.
7. Luthania
Lithuania is a small country in Northern Europe with one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. According to the World Health Organization, the former Soviet state had the highest suicide rate in 2016 (31.9 per 100,000 men and women). Men are more likely than women to commit suicide.
Lithuania’s suicide rate has been higher than the average for Europe since the early 2000s, with a suicide rate of 26.1 per 100k people.
6. Federated States of Micronesia
Micronesia is a remote archipelago of islands in the western Pacific Ocean with poverty, insufficient access to social services, and high unemployment rates. Drug abuse and public health problems have increased, leading to the country having the second world’s highest suicide rate of 28.2 suicides per 100,000 persons.
5. Kiribati
The island country in the Central Pacific is one of the most impoverished nations in the world with extreme levels of inequality and unemployment. Despite its small size and limited resources, its suicide rate is high, with 28.3 per 100k people.
Factors contributing to this high suicide rate include poverty, social stigma, lack of mental health care availability, and fewer prospects for work and education. Being an isolated island country with little touch with the outside world, Kiribati may experience sentiments of isolation and hopelessness.
4. South Korea
South Korea has the fourth highest suicide rate in the world, largely due to suicides among the elderly. According to our source, 28.6 % in every 100, 000 persons in South Korea commit suicide, and a greatly percentage of this is the elderly. In addition to the elderly, students have higher-than-average suicide rates due to high levels of pressure to succeed academically and alcohol use, sleep deprivation, stress, and poor social relationships.
The most common methods of committing suicide in South Korea are poisoning via carbon monoxide and jumping off a bridge. The government of South Korea is making efforts to curb the suicide epidemic by increasing mental healthcare access and providing education to community leaders to help prevent suicides.
3. Eswatini
Eswatini is a small, landlocked nation that relies heavily on South Africa for its economic existence. It has the third highest rate of suicide in the world, due to social isolation, drug misuse, poverty, Aids, gender-based violence, and lack of access to psychological treatments.
With an estimated 35.4 suicides per 100,000 individuals, Eswatini is one of the countries with the highest suicide rates in the world, according to our source.
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2. Guyana
Guyana, a mostly rural nation in the northeastern tip of South America with a population of over 740,000, has one of the highest suicide rate in the world, four times higher than the global average. This is due to severe rural poverty, alcoholism, and easy access to poisonous pesticides.
The World Health Organization ranks Guyana as having the second-highest suicide rate worldwide due to the lack of political and economic stability. Guyana is notorious for the ceremonial mass murder-suicide that claimed 909 lives in 1978, but the current suicide rate has nothing to do with death cults.
According to our source, this country has 40.3 out of 100,000 Guyanese linked to suicide every year.
1. Lesotho
Lesotho is a small landlocked nation in South Africa with a high suicide rate of up to 76 per 100,000 individuals, which is three times more than the global average. Most suicides in Lesotho occur among young individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, with young boys having the greatest suicide rate.
The government has taken action to address the issue of suicide, such as improving the availability of mental health treatments and trained medical personnel, but the high suicide rate remains a significant issue.
Conclusion
Preventative actions such as improving mental health awareness, offering support and counseling, boosting access to mental health care, and creating an open and accepting culture are necessary to reduce the rate of suicide. Governments must also collaborate to secure appropriate funding for mental-health services and research.
