Number of suicides in Greece up 25 pct since 2020, says suicide observatory

The number of people committing suicide in Greece in 2022 increased by almost 25% relative to 2020, according to the annual suicide data reported and analysed by the Suicide Observatory KLIMAKA.

The total number of reported suicides in 2022 was close to 600, with analysts noting that this figure actually corresponds to at least two suicides a day, given that suicide deaths are generally under-reported throughout the world.

More specifically:

• The vast majority of people who committed suicide were male (78%), with female suicides making up 22%.
• In terms of age group, people over 60 had the highest number of suicides compared to other age groups in the population.
• The number of suicides among young people in general (ages over 20) shows increasing trends compared to 2021 figures.
• In terms of regions, the highest number of suicides in 2022 was recorded in Crete (17% of the total number of deaths), followed by Central Macedonia.

As stated in the report, Greece remains one of the few countries “that has not taken any institutional initiative to protect self-destructive individuals,” which has been a standing demand of the organisation. It was underlined that 95% of deaths could have been prevented if there had been timely and effective interventions.