Highest number of suicides among young women ever in 2024

Last year 117 women up to thirty years left life. Never before was that number so high. That reports The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Thursday.

Among teenagers, suicide is now the most common cause of death. In 2024, 20 percent of the deaths among teenagers were suicide. That percentage is higher than children who die of cancer or due to a traffic accident. Also in their twenties died mainly from suicide, in 32 percent of the cases. This has to do with both more suicides and fewer road deaths.

In total, 1,849 people put an end to their lives in 2024. Converted that on average five suicides per day. Under fifties, suicide is most common. In 2024, a fifth of the suicide perpetrators was a fifties.

Reasons

Statistics Netherlands is counting with a suicide, in which population growth and aging are taken into account. In this way, the researchers can compare figures from different years. Since 2018 it changed suicide Not such: between 10.3 and 10.9 per 100 thousand inhabitants.

Little is known about the motives of people who commit suicide. Statistics Netherlands does not keep up with that information. Last month spoke NRC With health scientist Elias Balt, who interviewed relatives after a suicide to try to understand why the victim came to the suicide.

In his research, among others, young women emerged who have been struggling with psychological problems, suicidal thoughts and suicidal behavior since puberty. According to Balt, this group, which did not recover despite intensive care, regularly went looking for fellow sufferers via the internet or came across in clinics.

« As a result, they ended up in a kind of parallel reality in which their identity started to form more and more about suicidality. It is very difficult to get out of it again, because your identity depends on it. »

According to Balt, men usually speak less openly about suicidal thoughts than women. As a result, a suicide for relatives often came out of the blue. « Those are often the most moving stories, where relatives wonder: what did I miss? But maybe there was nothing to see. »

You can talk about suicide for free, anonymous and 24/7 at the national helpline 113 suicide prevention. Telephone: 0800-0113. Or chat on www.113.nl

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