TOKYO, Oct. 24 — A record 529 schoolchildren in Japan took their own lives in 2024, up by 16 from the previous year and the highest since data became available in 1980, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The 2024 total comprised 15 elementary, 163 junior high and 351 high school students, with the figure for junior high school students marking the highest on record, according to the 2025 edition of the White Paper on Suicide Countermeasures adopted at a cabinet meeting on Friday.
According to the report, school-related issues were the most common factor for suicides among those aged 19 and younger, followed by health and family issues.
The report also found that many of the university students who died by suicide were 21 years old, possibly indicating concerns about finding employment or pursuing higher education.
Suicide remains high among young people aged 15 to 29, with more than 3,000 deaths occurring annually since 2020, the report showed.
The report noted that the number of suicides among young women has been on the rise, with 40 percent of those in their 20s who died by suicide having previously attempted it.
Meanwhile, overall suicides in Japan in 2024 stood at 20,320, down 1,517 from the preceding year and the second lowest since statistics began in 1978. (Xinhua)
