Deaths by suicide in the EU fell slightly in 2023, with 48,370 residents dying as a result of intentional self-harm.
Those deaths accounted for 1.0% of all deaths across the bloc, Eurostat informed on Wednesday.
It reported a standardised death rate of 10.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, down from 10.6 in 2022 and 12.2 in 2013.
Rates varied widely between member states, with the highest number of deaths by suicide per 100,000 residents recorded in Lithuania (18.8), Slovenia (16.4) and Hungary (16.1).
The lowest rates were in Cyprus (3.5), Greece (4.3) and Malta (5.5).
Men accounted for more than three-quarters of suicide deaths
The crude death rate — a simple measure that does not adjust for differences in the age structure of populations — was higher among men at 16.9 per 100,000 than among women at 5.0, Eurostat said.
Men made up 76.4% of all deaths by suicide in the EU, with the share ranging from 70.2% in the Netherlands to 90.3% in Malta.
Suicide rates increased with age, rising from 0.2 deaths per 100,000 among people younger than 15 to 17.3 among those aged 65 and over.
Men had higher rates than women across all age groups except children under 15, where the rates were similar.
