1,849 suicides in 2024

Man seen from behind standing among trees and looking out over the meadows.
© Hollandse Hoogte
Last year, 1,849 people took their own lives. That means there were five suicides per day, on average. The suicide rate in the Netherlands has remained fairly stable in recent years, at around 10.3 per hundred thousand inhabitants. The number of suicides among women aged under 30 rose to 117 in 2024 - higher than ever before. The suicide rate is highest among people in their fifties. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new figures.
The suicide rate has not changed much since 2018. The suicide rate takes into account the growth and higher average age of the Dutch population. This allows figures from different years to be compared accurately. The number of suicides was around 10.3 and 10.9 per 100,000 inhabitants in the period between 2018 and 2024.


Most suicides occur among people in their fifties


Since 2007, most suicides have occurred among people in their fifties. In 2024, one in five people who ended their lives were in their fifties: there were 15 suicides per 100 thousand inhabitants aged between 50 and 60. In the early 1980s (the years when the suicide rate was the highest), most suicides occurred among people aged 80 and over, with an average of over 27 suicides per 100 thousand people in this age group. In 2024, the figure was 13 per 100 thousand people.


Suicide rates are rising more among young women than among young men


Over the past 15 years, suicide rates among men and women aged under 30 have increased, with a more pronounced rise among young women. The number of suicides among young women was 2.7 per 100 thousand between 2000 and 2004, compared with 4.7 between and 2024. The suicide rate among young women aged between 10 and 30 reached an unprecedented high in 2024: 5.5 suicides per 100 thousand. Among men, that was 7.5 between 2000 and 2004, compared with 8.8 between 2020 and 2024.


Suicide - leading cause of death among young people aged under 30

Suicide is the leading cause of death among teenagers. Of all teenage deaths in 2024, 20 percent were the result of suicide. That is higher than the number of deaths caused by road traffic accidents or cancer. Suicide was also the leading cause of death among people in their twenties: 32 percent of deaths involved suicide. That was partly due to an increase in the number of suicides, but also to fewer road traffic deaths involving young people. Among teenagers who died in 1975, 40 percent of deaths were a result of road traffic accidents and 4 percent of suicide. Among people in their twenties, the figures for the same period were 28 percent and 13 percent, respectively.



Are you contemplating suicide? Call 113 or 0800-0113 (toll free), or chat anonymously with us via 113.nl. This help line is available 24/7.

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