Column 　Finance and the Social Security System 　2018.06.01

【Aging, safety net and fiscal crisis in Japan】No.123: Suicide Rate in Japan is Relatively High

In this column series, Yukihiro Matsuyama, Research Director at CIGS introduces the latest information about aging, safety net and fiscal crisis in Japan with data of international comparison.
Aging Society&Others
Yukihiro MATSUYAMA
Yukihiro MATSUYAMA
Research Director

In March 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that the number of suicides in 2017 was 21,321 (Figure 1). The sharp increase in the number of suicides from 21,346 in 1990 to 32,863 in 1998 is considered to be the effect of the bubble economy bursting in 1991. However, the reasons why the number of suicides exceeded 30,000 during 1998 to 2011 and decreased since 2012 are unknown. The problem is that the suicide rate in Japan is relatively high among developed countries despite such a decrease in the number of suicides (Figure 2).


Figure 1: Number of suicides in Japan
123-fig1.png

Source: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare


Figure 2: International comparison of suicide rates
123-fig.png

Source: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare