In the last 45 years, suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Over 800,000 people die due to suicide every year and there are many more who attempt suicide.
Although suicide rates have traditionally been highest amongst elderly males, rates among young people have been increasing to such an extent that they are now the group at highest risk in a third of all countries. Suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and was the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds globally in 2012.
Mental health disorders (particularly depression and substance abuse) are associated with more than 90% of all cases of suicide.
The WHO states that Eastern European countries show the highest suicide rates, but nearly 30% of all suicides worldwide occur in India and China.
While the number of suicides has been declining in most Central European countries in the last decade (with the exception of Poland, where the suicide rate has stayed at around 15 per 100,000 since 1999), the numbers from South Korea, where the rate has tripled over the last two decades, are frightening!
More data at Suicide Statistics
Helgi Library 
