Japan’s suicide rate rose in 2022 from the previous year, due to the rising number of cases among men for the first time in 13 years, the Japanese government announced in a report on Friday, Xinhua reports, Agerpres reads.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, there were a total of 21,584 suicides in 2022, 577 more than the previous year, with male suicides accounting for 14,543 of the annual total deaths, 604 more than the previous year.

Preliminary data also showed that the number of women who resorted to this gesture was 7,041 in 2022, down by 27 compared to the previous year. However, the figure remained well above the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of suicides in Japan fell steadily for 10 consecutive years until 2019, according to ministry data, but the trend reversed and remained relatively high since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The number of suicides among the unemployed in 2020 increased by almost 50%, reaching 1,038, according to the statistics of the National Police Agency.

Among the reasons why people end their lives, the most common are health problems, representing 11,125 of the cases, while family problems were mentioned in 4,214 of the cases.

The Ministry of Health stated that suicides among school-age children decreased in 2022, reaching 441 cases.

Agerpres