21,897 people committed suicide in 2016; lowest number since 1994

wanderlustMAR. 23, 2017 - 04:02PM JST

Wonder if there is breakdown and analysis of how those 21,897

Here is a link to the suicide statistics for 2015, released by National Police Agency of Japan.

https://www.npa.go.jp/safetylife/seianki/jisatsu/H27/H27_jisatunojoukyou_01.pdf

Table 4 on page 5 shows, "health problems" is the largest motive for suicide (50.5%), followed by "economic problems" (17.0%) and "family problems" (15.2%).

Table 2-2 on page 16 shows "age group 50 to 59" has the highest suicide rate (25.6/100,000) followed by "age group 80 or older" (24.5/100,000). The age group with lowest suicide rate in the "age group 19 or younger" (2.5/100,000).

DisillusionedMAR. 23, 2017 - 04:14PM JST

This may be so. However, life insurance companies still pay out if the suicide is deemed to be from financial stress. I wonder how much further this number would drop if the life insurance companies stopped paying out for finance related suicide.

Are you suggesting that insurers should not pay only if the suicide is from financial stress, and should pay if it is from other reasons? Or, are you suggesting that they should not pay for any suicide?

The heirs do not need to assume liabilities if the net worth of the deceased is negative. So, insurance does not generally save heirs. It saves lenders for the lenders collect the insurance payment. Do you think borrowers would commit suicides for the love of lenders? The only exception would be the home loans. If the heirs refuse to assume the loan, they also lose the title of the house. Insurance saves the house for the heirs. But I am not sure prohibiting insurance payment for the home loan borrowers would make the world any better.

Even with the decline, Japan’s suicide rate of 17.3 per 100,000 people in 2016 remains high compared to most other countries. The U.S. suicide rate is around 13 per 100,000, and the United Kingdom is under 10.

That's SIXTY every day, and the equivalent of ONE FUKUSHIMA every year...

“We can be a little kinder and try to reach out to others”

I second that emotion...

Still far too many people doing so....

On average, just under sixty people each day. Bravo Japan!

guess everything is in order then.. sips coffee

@CH3CHO - Are you suggesting that insurers should not pay only if the suicide is from financial stress, and should pay if it is from other reasons? Or, are you suggesting that they should not pay for any suicide?

Here we go again! I'm not suggesting anything! In other countries, suicide defaults your life insurance. However, it does not in Japan! In Japan, if you can show the suicide is due to financial hardship the company must pay full coverage, as if you were killed in a car crash. This is not the case in other countries. Get it?

Wonder if there is breakdown and analysis of how those 21,897 unfortunate people did it, and why they did it? By jumping in front of a train? Lost in Aokigahara Forest? Jumping off a roof, balcony or cliff? Drugs or noxious gas?

Analysis of what may have caused it, and breakdown by age, gender, socio-economic class, occupation, living environment, etc., could help improve measures to further reduce the number.

This is the reason why we constantly have to improve the quality of life for every single Japanese! From the elderly, to the disabled, to single parents and those who are temporarily unemployed!

We read a lot about suicides, here on JT, and I've often thought the per-capita rate of people taking their lives would be among the highest in the world. But, after reading this story, I checked statistics for suicides in all countries that keep records; Japan ranks 17th. South Korea ranks 2nd.

As for the reasons behind the decisions people make to take their own lives, there are more than a dozen, but they're all cultural or economic. Changing both is a huge task.

Yes, many do pay out but only a few years after the insurance was taken out(3-5yrs usually).

Consumer loan laws have been revised to try to keep people from taking on too much debt

This may be so. However, life insurance companies still pay out if the suicide is deemed to be from financial stress. I wonder how much further this number would drop if the life insurance companies stopped paying out for finance related suicide.

Rates in Japan are falling, which is great news, but it's still high of course.

Of course, rates in countries like the UK and Canada, though on the whole lower than Japan, are still subject to regional and cultural variations:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/16/canada-first-nations-suicide-crisis-attawapiskat-history

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/16/scotlands-drive-to-reduce-male-suicides

Any decrease in suicide is good news. If you have a negative comment about this kind of good news article, you better have a good point to back it up. Otherwise you just sound like a jerk.

Governments prefer people do not commit suicide so they can continue paying taxes to pay for the govermment workers who tell them not to commit suicide.

DisillusionedMAR. 23, 2017 - 07:54PM JST

In Japan, if you can show the suicide is due to financial hardship the company must pay full coverage, as if you were killed in a car crash.

You are wrong. All one has to show is that the insured is dead. The insurer has to pay, unless the insurer proves that the insured is killed by the beneficiary.

I can't believe insurance companies pay for suicides in Japan. It's insanity. Suicide should equal automatic default.

No, it occurs in other countries also. Disagree with the sentiment on default.

"Consumer loan laws have been revised to try to keep people from taking on too much debt"

He says, as the government drools over the new Casinos being built.

I can't believe insurance companies pay for suicides in Japan. It's insanity. Suicide should equal automatic default.

In a country that has historically viewed the taking of ones own life as a legitimate means of retaining honor, and saving ones family from shame, it seems to me to not be surprising that suicide rates are what they are. What other nation has such views on taking ones own life?

If, no other nation has an honorable view of taking ones own life, then to compare Japan to other nations is an invalid comparison.

Note, I am not passing judgement on the act. I am making an observation based on my own research of Japanese culture and society.

I AM suggesting they stop paying insurances for the suicides. Not only it would stop encouraging idiots from committing it to provide their families or whoever, but will also make some other "suicide-prone" people to consider harsh consequences. Still, one good news for now.

21,897 people committed suicide in 2016; lowest number since 1994

Wow really worth the article JT? Shame that a lower suicide rate is even in the news. God help and bless those considering suicide.