Suicide occurs throughout the world, affecting individuals of all nations, cultures, religions, genders and classes. In fact, statistics show that the countries with the highest suicide rates in the world are incredibly diverse. For example in 2019, among the top five are the eastern European country of Lithuania (31.9 suicides per 100k), the eastern European country of Russia (31 suicides per 100k), the south American country of Guyana (29.2 suicides per 100k), and the Asian country of South Korea (26.9 suicides per 100k). A number of other eastern European countries have high suicide rates, including Belarus (26.2 suicides per 100k), Suriname and Kazakhstan, both at around 22 suicides per 100k.
In contrast, the only western European nation with a particularly high suicide rate is Belgium, which ranks at number eleven with 20.7 suicides per 100k. However, it is worth noting that Belgium has some of the world’s most liberal laws on doctor-assisted suicide, which is likely to be a factor in its statistics. Interestingly, the country of Bhutan, which is famous for measuring Gross National Happiness, an index used to measure the collective happiness and wellbeing of its population, has a moderately high suicide rate at 11.4 per 100k.
Perhaps surprisingly, many of the most troubled nations in the world have comparatively low suicide rates. Afghanistan has 4.7 suicides per 100k, Iraq has three and Syria has just 1.9. It is not clear if the suicide statistics for these countries reflect suicides committed due to mental health problems and terminal illnesses (which are the primary reasons for suicide in most of the world), or if they also include suicides committed as part of the ongoing conflicts in these countries.
The lowest suicide rates in the world are concentrated in the Caribbean Islands of the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grenada, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda. Suicide is almost unheard of in each of these countries, with Barbados and Antigua And Barbuda reporting 0.8 and 0.5 suicides per 100k, respectively.
Country Crude Suicide Rate Rank
Lithuania 31.9 suicides per 100k 1
Russia 31 suicides per 100k 2
Guyana 29.2 suicides per 100k 3
South Korea 26.9 suicides per 100k 4
Belarus 26.2 suicides per 100k 5
Suriname 22.8 suicides per 100k 6
Kazakhstan 22.5 suicides per 100k 7
Ukraine 22.4 suicides per 100k 8
Latvia 21.2 suicides per 100k 10
Lesotho 21.2 suicides per 100k 9
Belgium 20.7 suicides per 100k 11
Hungary 19.1 suicides per 100k 12
Slovenia 18.6 suicides per 100k 13
Japan 18.5 suicides per 100k 14
Uruguay 18.4 suicides per 100k 15
Estonia 17.8 suicides per 100k 16
France 17.7 suicides per 100k 17
Switzerland 17.2 suicides per 100k 18
Croatia 16.5 suicides per 100k 19
Equatorial Guinea 16.4 suicides per 100k 20
India 16.3 suicides per 100k 21
Poland 16.2 suicides per 100k 22
Moldova 15.9 suicides per 100k 24
Finland 15.9 suicides per 100k 23
Serbia 15.6 suicides per 100k 26
Austria 15.6 suicides per 100k 25
United States 15.3 suicides per 100k 27
Sweden 14.8 suicides per 100k 28
Sri Lanka 14.6 suicides per 100k 29
Thailand 14.4 suicides per 100k 31
Kiribati 14.4 suicides per 100k 30
Portugal 14 suicides per 100k 33
Iceland 14 suicides per 100k 32
Cuba 13.9 suicides per 100k 34
El Salvador 13.7 suicides per 100k 35
Trinidad And Tobago 13.6 suicides per 100k 37
Germany 13.6 suicides per 100k 36
Luxembourg 13.5 suicides per 100k 38
Australia 13.2 suicides per 100k 39
Mongolia 13 suicides per 100k 40
Slovakia 12.8 suicides per 100k 42
Denmark 12.8 suicides per 100k 41
Netherlands 12.6 suicides per 100k 43
Canada 12.5 suicides per 100k 44
Norway 12.2 suicides per 100k 48
Nicaragua 12.2 suicides per 100k 47
Cameroon 12.2 suicides per 100k 46
Bolivia 12.2 suicides per 100k 45
New Zealand 12.1 suicides per 100k 49
Haiti 11.7 suicides per 100k 50
South Africa 11.6 suicides per 100k 51
Ireland 11.5 suicides per 100k 53
Bulgaria 11.5 suicides per 100k 52
Bhutan 11.4 suicides per 100k 54
Cape Verde 11.3 suicides per 100k 55
Zimbabwe 10.7 suicides per 100k 56
Chile 10.6 suicides per 100k 57
Romania 10.4 suicides per 100k 58
Montenegro 10.3 suicides per 100k 59
Uganda 9.9 suicides per 100k 63
Singapore 9.9 suicides per 100k 62
Dominican Republic 9.9 suicides per 100k 61
Benin 9.9 suicides per 100k 60
Sierra Leone 9.7 suicides per 100k 65
China 9.7 suicides per 100k 64
Togo 9.6 suicides per 100k 66
Paraguay 9.5 suicides per 100k 68
Nigeria 9.5 suicides per 100k 67
Seychelles 9.3 suicides per 100k 70
Botswana 9.3 suicides per 100k 69
Argentina 9.2 suicides per 100k 71
Burundi 9.1 suicides per 100k 72
Nepal 8.8 suicides per 100k 75
Chad 8.8 suicides per 100k 74
Bosnia And Herzegovina 8.8 suicides per 100k 73
Spain 8.7 suicides per 100k 77
Namibia 8.7 suicides per 100k 76
Laos 8.6 suicides per 100k 78
Yemen 8.5 suicides per 100k 79
Kyrgyzstan 8.3 suicides per 100k 80
Italy 8.2 suicides per 100k 82
Georgia 8.2 suicides per 100k 81
Sudan 8.1 suicides per 100k 83
Eritrea 7.9 suicides per 100k 85
Costa Rica 7.9 suicides per 100k 84
Saint Lucia 7.8 suicides per 100k 88
Mauritius 7.8 suicides per 100k 87
Myanmar 7.8 suicides per 100k 86
Burkina Faso 7.7 suicides per 100k 90
Central African Republic 7.7 suicides per 100k 89
Malta 7.5 suicides per 100k 91
Uzbekistan 7.4 suicides per 100k 92
Turkey 7.3 suicides per 100k 94
Vietnam 7.3 suicides per 100k 93
Ethiopia 7.2 suicides per 100k 96
Colombia 7.2 suicides per 100k 95
Gabon 7.1 suicides per 100k 98
Ecuador 7.1 suicides per 100k 97
Liberia 6.8 suicides per 100k 100
Comoros 6.8 suicides per 100k 99
Turkmenistan 6.7 suicides per 100k 103
Rwanda 6.7 suicides per 100k 102
Djibouti 6.7 suicides per 100k 101
Qatar 6.6 suicides per 100k 105
Armenia 6.6 suicides per 100k 104
Brazil 6.5 suicides per 100k 106
Guinea 6.3 suicides per 100k 108
Albania 6.3 suicides per 100k 107
Zambia 6.1 suicides per 100k 109
Senegal 6 suicides per 100k 111
Papua New Guinea 6 suicides per 100k 110
Republic Of The Congo 5.9 suicides per 100k 114
Bangladesh 5.9 suicides per 100k 113
Bahrain 5.9 suicides per 100k 112
Dr Congo 5.7 suicides per 100k 115
Malaysia 5.5 suicides per 100k 116
Tanzania 5.4 suicides per 100k 119
Israel 5.4 suicides per 100k 118
Ghana 5.4 suicides per 100k 117
Cyprus 5.3 suicides per 100k 121
Cambodia 5.3 suicides per 100k 120
Libya 5.2 suicides per 100k 122
Mexico 5.1 suicides per 100k 124
Gambia 5.1 suicides per 100k 123
Greece 5 suicides per 100k 126
Fiji 5 suicides per 100k 125
Peru 4.9 suicides per 100k 128
Mozambique 4.9 suicides per 100k 127
Mali 4.8 suicides per 100k 129
Somalia 4.7 suicides per 100k 134
Solomon Islands 4.7 suicides per 100k 133
Belize 4.7 suicides per 100k 132
Angola 4.7 suicides per 100k 131
Afghanistan 4.7 suicides per 100k 130
Timor Leste 4.6 suicides per 100k 137
Niger 4.6 suicides per 100k 136
Brunei 4.6 suicides per 100k 135
Vanuatu 4.5 suicides per 100k 138
Samoa 4.4 suicides per 100k 140
Mauritania 4.4 suicides per 100k 139
Panama 4.3 suicides per 100k 141
Iran 4.1 suicides per 100k 142
Egypt 4 suicides per 100k 144
Guinea Bissau 4 suicides per 100k 143
Oman 3.9 suicides per 100k 146
Madagascar 3.9 suicides per 100k 145
Venezuela 3.7 suicides per 100k 149
South Sudan 3.7 suicides per 100k 148
Malawi 3.7 suicides per 100k 147
Tonga 3.5 suicides per 100k 150
Tunisia 3.4 suicides per 100k 152
Indonesia 3.4 suicides per 100k 151
Lebanon 3.3 suicides per 100k 153
Saudi Arabia 3.2 suicides per 100k 157
Philippines 3.2 suicides per 100k 156
Kenya 3.2 suicides per 100k 155
Algeria 3.2 suicides per 100k 154
Iraq 3 suicides per 100k 158
Pakistan 2.9 suicides per 100k 162
Morocco 2.9 suicides per 100k 161
Jordan 2.9 suicides per 100k 160
Honduras 2.9 suicides per 100k 159
United Arab Emirates 2.8 suicides per 100k 163
Guatemala 2.7 suicides per 100k 164
Azerbaijan 2.6 suicides per 100k 165
Tajikistan 2.5 suicides per 100k 166
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines 2.4 suicides per 100k 167
Sao Tome And Principe 2.3 suicides per 100k 170
Maldives 2.3 suicides per 100k 169
Kuwait 2.3 suicides per 100k 168
Jamaica 2.2 suicides per 100k 171
Syria 1.9 suicides per 100k 172
Grenada 1.7 suicides per 100k 174
Bahamas 1.7 suicides per 100k 173
Barbados 0.8 suicides per 100k 175
Antigua And Barbuda 0.5 suicides per 100k 176