Japan has spent decades as one of the higher-suicide countries among the world’s wealthy democracies, and its data is among the most closely tracked anywhere. The National Police Agency records deaths monthly, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare publishes detailed annual figures — a level of granularity that makes Japan a valuable case study in what national suicide prevention can and cannot achieve.
The headline number for 2024 is a provisional total of 20,268 suicides, down 1,569 (-7.2%) from 2023 and the second-lowest annual count since record-keeping began in 1978 (MHLW, 2025). That reflects a long, hard-won decline: after Japan passed its Basic Act on Suicide Countermeasures in 2006, the national suicide rate fell by more than 35% over the following years (WHO, 2024).
But the aggregate improvement hides a troubling counter-trend. Suicides among schoolchildren reached the highest level on record in 2024, and for the first time girls outnumbered boys among student deaths. This article walks through Japan’s latest government data — the overall trend, the youth crisis, the leading motives, prefecture extremes, and how Japan compares internationally. For the broader picture behind these numbers, see our pillar overview of suicide deaths.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
Japan’s 2024 Suicide Data at a Glance
The 2024 provisional figures from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the National Police Agency show continued improvement in the national totals (MHLW, 2025):
| Measure | 2024 (provisional) | Change from 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total suicides | 20,268 | −1,569 (−7.2%) |
| Suicide rate | 16.3 per 100,000 | −1.3 |
| K–12 student suicides | 527 | Record high since 1980 |
The 20,268 total is the second-lowest since records began in 1978, and the rate of 16.3 per 100,000 continued a downward path that has defined the past 15 years. Japan’s decline stands out globally because it followed a specific, sustained policy commitment rather than a temporary dip — a point we return to in the international section below.
The Long Decline Since the 2006 Basic Act
Japan’s suicide rate climbed sharply in the late 1990s amid financial crisis and rising unemployment, prompting a national response. The 2006 Basic Act on Suicide Countermeasures established suicide prevention as a government-wide priority, funding community programs, workplace mental health measures, and coordination across agencies. In the years that followed, the national suicide rate fell by more than 35% from its 2006 level through 2022 (WHO, 2024).
The World Health Organization has held Japan up as an example of what a whole-of-government prevention strategy can accomplish — a contrast with the roughly 38 countries worldwide that have any national suicide prevention strategy at all (WHO, 2025). The 2024 total continues that trajectory, though officials caution that the figures remain provisional until finalized.
The decline has not been evenly distributed across age groups, however, which is where the data grows more complicated.
The Youth Counter-Trend: Record Student Suicides
While overall numbers fell, suicides among children and students moved in the opposite direction. In 2024, suicides among elementary, junior-high, and high-school students rose to 527 — the highest figure since records for this group began in 1980 (MHLW, 2025). The broader student category, which includes university and other students, reached 1,072.
The most striking shift within the 527 K–12 deaths was by sex:
| Group | 2024 student suicides (K–12) |
|---|---|
| Girls | 288 |
| Boys | 239 |
| Total | 527 |
For the first time on record, girls (288) exceeded boys (239) among student suicides (MHLW, 2025). This inverts the pattern seen in most age groups and most countries, where male suicide deaths substantially outnumber female — the dynamic examined in our analysis of male suicide statistics. The rise concentrated among teens and school-age children runs against Japan’s otherwise improving national picture, and it has become a focus of prevention efforts aimed at young adults and adolescents. Age is one of the strongest dividing lines in suicide data everywhere, as our breakdown of suicide statistics by age shows.
Leading Motives in 2024
The National Police Agency records probable motives for suicide deaths, and a single death can be attributed to more than one factor. In 2024, the leading recorded categories were (MHLW, 2025):
| Recorded motive | Cases (2024) |
|---|---|
| Health concerns | 11,963 |
| Economic / livelihood problems | 5,075 |
| Family issues | 4,334 |
Health concerns were by far the most frequently cited factor, appearing in about 2.4 times as many cases as economic hardship. This ordering is consistent with patterns seen in many high-income countries, where physical and mental health conditions figure prominently. Because motives are recorded as contributing factors rather than single causes, the categories overlap and the counts should not be read as mutually exclusive.
Prefecture Extremes
Suicide rates vary considerably across Japan’s 47 prefectures. In 2024, the range between the highest and lowest was nearly two-fold (MHLW, 2025):
- Highest: Iwate prefecture, at 22.9 per 100,000
- Lowest: Tottori prefecture, at 12.1 per 100,000
Iwate, in the rural northeast, has long reported elevated rates, while the national average sat at 16.3. Geographic variation of this kind mirrors the state-level differences seen in the United States, which we cover in our suicide statistics for the US and in the national mental health overview.
How Japan Compares Internationally
Japan’s numbers are best understood against the global backdrop. Worldwide, more than 720,000 people die by suicide each year — about 727,000 in 2021 — for a global suicide mortality rate of roughly 9.2 per 100,000 (WHO, 2025; WHO, 2021 estimates). Japan’s rate sits well above that global average.
Among high-income countries, Japan’s 2024 crude rate of 16.3 exceeds the United States’ crude rate of roughly 14.6 for the same year (CDC, 2026) and most of the Western European members of the G7. Within its own region, however, Japan is not the highest: the Republic of Korea reports an age-standardized rate of about 27.5 per 100,000, the highest of any high-income country in East Asia (WHO, 2021 estimates). Globally, the highest age-standardized rates in the 2021 estimates were in Lesotho (28.7), followed by the Republic of Korea (27.5) and Eswatini (27.2).
A word of caution on comparisons: Japan’s 16.3 is a crude rate, while figures like Korea’s 27.5 are age-standardized, so they are not directly interchangeable — and Japan’s aging population tends to push crude rates higher. For a fuller cross-national ranking, see our companion piece on suicide rates by country. The broad takeaway holds: Japan’s rate is elevated relative to the global average and to most Western peers, but its sustained decline since 2006 has narrowed a gap that was once far wider.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many suicides were there in Japan in 2024?
Japan recorded a provisional total of 20,268 suicides in 2024, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the National Police Agency. That was down 1,569 (-7.2%) from 2023 and the second-lowest annual total since record-keeping began in 1978.
What is Japan’s suicide rate?
Japan’s suicide rate was 16.3 per 100,000 in 2024, down 1.3 from the previous year. That is above the global average of roughly 9.2 per 100,000 but reflects a decline of more than 35% since 2006.
Why are student suicides rising in Japan?
Suicides among elementary, junior-high, and high-school students reached 527 in 2024, the highest since records for this group began in 1980. For the first time, girls (288) outnumbered boys (239). The rise runs counter to Japan’s improving national totals and has become a focus of prevention efforts, though the government’s data does not assign a single cause.
What causes most suicides in Japan?
Among recorded contributing motives in 2024, health concerns were most common (11,963 cases), followed by economic or livelihood problems (5,075) and family issues (4,334). Because a single death can be attributed to multiple factors, these categories overlap.
Does Japan have the highest suicide rate in its region?
No. While Japan’s rate of 16.3 per 100,000 is elevated, the Republic of Korea has a higher age-standardized rate of about 27.5 per 100,000 — the highest among high-income countries in East Asia. Japan’s rate also exceeds the United States and most Western European G7 members.
Why has Japan’s suicide rate fallen since 2006?
Japan passed its Basic Act on Suicide Countermeasures in 2006, making suicide prevention a government-wide priority with funding for community programs, workplace measures, and cross-agency coordination. The World Health Organization credits this sustained strategy with a decline of more than 35% in the national rate over the following years.
Sources
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Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) / National Police Agency. Trends in suicide numbers (2024 provisional 20,268). MHLW; 2025. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001386269.pdf
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World Health Organization. Suicide prevention in Japan: a public health priority. WHO; 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/suicide-prevention-in-japan—a-public-health-priority
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World Health Organization. Suicide (fact sheet). WHO; 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
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World Health Organization. Suicide Worldwide in 2021: Global Health Estimates. WHO; 2025. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240110069
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World Health Organization. Suicide mortality rate (SDG 3.4.2). WHO; 2021 estimates. https://data.who.int/indicators/i/F08B4FD/16BBF41
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Suicide Data and Statistics. CDC; 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/data/