In 2022, 1,916 people in the Netherlands took their own lives. This is evident from a report published on Friday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The number of suicides in 2022 differs relatively little (54 people more) from that of the year before, when there were several lockdowns in the Netherlands due to the corona virus. Also in 2018 and 2019 and the corona year 2020, the number of suicides in the Netherlands did not differ significantly from that of 2022.
The number of men who took their own lives in 2022 is considerably higher than the number of women: 1,315 to 601. That ratio has been about the same for years. Suicide is the most common cause of death among young people under the age of thirty. 308 young people took their own lives in 2022, including 67 teenagers. Death from a traffic accident (130) and cancer (136) are, after suicide, the most common causes of death among young people under the age of thirty. In absolute numbers, most suicides were in the age group 50 to 59 years: 428. That is also the age group with the most people.
With 10.8 suicides per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2022, the suicide rate has shown only minor changes since 2018. In these figures, Statistics Netherlands takes population growth and aging into account, so that the institute can compare different years with each other.
You can talk about suicide at the help and prevention line ‘Suicide? Talk about it’. Telephone 0900-0113 or via 113.nl