Spain's suicide rate falls for first time in more than five years

The provisional data on deaths by suicide in 2024 provided today by Spain's INE national statistics institute is encouraging. The absolute figure of 1,842 deaths by suicide during the first half of the year is undoubtedly still a worrying figure, but at the same time it contains a positive element, as it confirms the decline in suicides that began last year.

It was the year 2023 that saw the first signs of a decline in the number of such deaths, the first in over five years. On the back of that positive note the first half of 2024 points to a possible end to the trend of permanent and continued growth in the suicide rate that has been recorded in Spain over the last 15 years, which was further exarcerbated by the personal and social trauma unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic.

It would appear to be good news all round on this matter because the definitive and detailed data for last year, provided this week by the INE, indicate that not only did suicides fall among the adult population of Spain but also among young people and adolescents, halting what was a veritable epidemic that had caused consternation with doctors, NGOs and families for the last two years.

Data released on the first half of this year shows that 1,842 people took their own lives in Spain, which is 125 fewer than in the same period in 2023, which was already showing some decline. In fact, the data indicate that the rate of reduction of deaths through self-harming has increased in Spain in the first half of this year, as the drop has been 6.3%, twice as fast as that of the whole of the previous year when there was a fall of 2.6%.

The final INE figures show that 4,116 people took their own lives in Spain in 2023, 111 fewer than a year earlier, a reduction of 2.6%. This break in the list of consecutive increases since 2016, with the only hiccough happening in 2018, avoids a new maximum record being recorded. Even so, the daily suicide rate in Spain still exceeds eleven people.

The combination of the decline in suicides and the significant increase in deaths resulting from accidental falls (4,158) meant that in 2023, for the first time in 15 years, suicides were not the leading cause of death from external causes (those not linked to a disease) but the second leading cause. Suicides had been the leading external cause of death since 2008, the year in which they overtook deaths caused by traffic accidents, which are still more than twice as many today (1,827).

The second, more positive fact is that suicide deaths among young people and adolescents in Spain fell last year for the first time in five years, halting what was a rapid, steady growth. For the time being at least this news shows a pause in the trend that caused them to rise by almost 50% between 2017 and 2022. Last year 203 of our youngsters under 25 died by suicide, that is 15 fewer than a year earlier, a reduction of 6.8% in 12 months, almost three times that of the rest of the population.

Despite the decline the number of suicides in the under-25s is still very high. On the positive side, the decrease in the number of deaths by suicide is present across all age groups. Suicides among children under 14 (10) are two fewer than a year earlier, for the 15-19s 66 took their own lives and that is nine fewer and for the 20-24 group (127 suicides) that means four fewer than a year earlier. The stalling in the suicide rate for all the age groups under 20 years of age represents falls of between 12% and 17% in one year.

The typical suicide in Spain continues to be male. Among children and minors, however, there is little gender difference. In fact, among children under 15 years of age there were more girls than boys (seven girls, three boys). Among adolescents the figure was slightly higher for boys, but from 19 years of age onwards the proportion is the same as for other adults, three to one being men. The age group with the most suicides is the 45-60 years of age.

In its first two and a half years of operation, 024, the free 24-hour suicide helpline in Spain, has received more than 300,000 calls from those directly dealing with suicidal thoughts. those directly affected or those close to them. That is well over 100,000 requests for help per year and more than 400 on average every day.

Telephone 024: the Spanish government's free 24-hour 365-day helpline run by the Red Cross. Real time telephone interpreting service for non-Spanish speakers.

Samaritans in Spain: Free helpline in English for anyone feeling desperate, anxious or alone: Freephone 900 525 100 between 10am and 10pm or email pat@samaritansinspain.com. www.samaritansinspain.com

Anar: Helpline and chat for children and teens (Spanish). 900 202 010 www.anar.org