A government report says suicide is the leading cause of death in Japan among 15 to 39-year-olds, and calls for new measures to stop people from turning to suicide.
The white paper on suicide prevention was presented at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The report says data compiled by the National Police Agency shows the number of suicides fell to 21,897 last year, down by 2,128 from a year ago. The figure marks the 7th straight year of decline, and the first drop below the 22,000 mark in more than 2 decades.
Data analysis of deaths in 2015 reveals that intentional self-harm was the top cause of death in each 5-year age bracket from 15 through 39.
The report notes that the trend is peculiar to Japan among industrialized countries.
It also says that Japan’s suicide mortality rate, or the number of suicides for every 100,000 people, is the 6th highest in the world.
It adds that while suicides among people in their 20s and 30s have shown clear signs of decreasing in France and Germany, Japan has seen a smaller drop.
Source: NHK
Image: Bank Image
Join the Conversation