The number of suicides in the Netherlands rose slightly in 2021 compared to a year earlier. While the suicide rate among women decreased, the suicide rate among men increased. This is evident from figures published on Tuesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
In total 1,859 people committed suicide in the Netherlands in 2021, 36 more than in 2020. While the number of suicides among women decreased by 31 to 564, the number of men who ended their lives increased by 67 to 1,295. For both men and women, most suicides are committed between the ages of 50 and 60. A quarter of all suicides among both men and women were committed in that age group last year.
The number of suicides by men between the ages of 50 and 60 rose by 10 percent, while among women it remained stable. Among men, the number of suicides in the age group between forty and fifty years did decrease, by 15 percent. By age group, the largest increase in suicides was recorded in the group of men between the ages of 20 and 30, where the number of suicides rose from 124 in 2020 to 167 in 2021.
In the age group up to twenty years, the number of suicides decreased in 2021 compared to a year earlier. Twenty girls took their own lives last year, compared to 27 in 2020. The number of suicides among boys rose slightly, from 35 to 36 suicides.
You can talk about suicide at the national helpline 113 Suicide Prevention. Phone 0800-0113 or www.113.nl.